


Miss Right

by EndoratheWitch



Category: Mr. Right, Strange Magic (2015)
Genre: Assassins & Hitmen, Break Up, F/M, Falling In Love, Gun Violence, Martial Arts, Memory Loss, cursing, inspired by movie Mr. Right, knife fight, mild nudity, mild smut eventually
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-22
Updated: 2018-08-07
Packaged: 2019-06-14 11:10:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 35,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15387495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EndoratheWitch/pseuds/EndoratheWitch
Summary: Bog meets a mysterious woman.





	1. Bullets and Cat Ears

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Damonicus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Damonicus/gifts).



Bog wore brown slacks, a white dress shirt--the sleeves of which were rolled up--a pair of fancy oxfords, and a pink frilly apron over the top the whole outfit, grinning as he worked in the kitchen of his girlfriend’s small apartment. He had wanted to do something romantic tonight just because he thought it would be a nice gesture. They had been having trouble lately and he wanted to show her he was willing to work on their relationship, willing to do whatever it took. He wanted this to work, wanted their relationship to work. He wanted a happy relationship, a real partner in his life, someone to love, maybe even get married, and he was willing to do whatever it took. So here he was cooking a romantic dinner for her as a surprise. 

They weren’t supposed to have a date tonight; she was having a girls’ night with her friends and she had said she had an early morning tomorrow, having been called into work. He thought it odd that she had been called in since she was a secretary, but what did he know about these things? 

So he had come up with the idea of cooking her a nice meal so she could sleep well and be ready in the morning. Bog thought it would be a nice gesture if he were here when she came home, with an elegant dinner ready, flowers, music...the works. He had let himself into her apartment with the key she had given him and enacted his plan to make the most romantic dinner he could. 

Bog had bought nearly all the pink and red roses from a local florist and had decorated the apartment with the blossoms until the entire place smelled like the floral shop. He thought the apartment looked, well, dreamy. He smiled pleased with himself. He liked flowers and always thought they were such a lovely sentiment. 

Right now he was in the kitchen doing his best. Bog had some music playing while he cooked, Hall and Oates “You Make My Dreams Come True” played loudly while he moved through the kitchen like a dancer, doing a few spins, crossing his legs and using the balls of his feet, his shoes perfectly designed for smooth turns. His tall, thin body moved easily with the music as he bounced his hips while he chopped some vegetables. He tossed the knife he was using back and forth, doing a series of flips and tosses with the deadly blade without really paying attention to what he was doing and catching the knife easily by the handle. The knife sailed through the air and Bog easily caught it, not once looking at the blade. He wasn’t really even trying to do any tricks with it, just enjoying the music as he simply snatched the blade from the air and continued to work and dance; until he glanced up when the oven timer went off. His fingers missed the knife by barely an inch. The sharp blade slipped past his fingers and landed point down with a hard THUNK into the wooden chopping block he had been using to cut vegetables. Bog frowned, then grimaced at how deeply the knife had penetrated the wood, startled as he looked down at the knife, then shrugged as he continued to cook, dancing to the sounds of Hall and Oates as he moved, occasionally singing along. 

Finally, after nearly an hour, everything was ready. He fixed his hair, made sure his clothing was clean, the flowers in place, romantic music playing, romantic dinner ready on the living room table, bottle of wine, two glasses, and the candles were lit. The dessert, cheesecake stuffed strawberries, were in the fridge… He then sat on the couch to wait. She had told him she would be home early tonight because she had work tomorrow, so he expected her at any moment. He looked down at his watch, yep, she said she would be home by midnight...any minute now. 

* 

Three hours later, Bog had drunk the entire bottle of wine. He was asleep on the couch, the empty bottle held against his chest like a teddy bear when the door to her apartment finally opened. Bog sat up grinning stupidly when he saw his girlfriend Rolande was in the arms of another man. They were kissing passionately, stumbling into the apartment. The man who was kissing her bumped her up against the kitchen table before he reached behind her to knock everything off as he lifted her up onto the table. 

Bog stared unblinking. 

He held his bottle of wine against his chest as all the color drained from his face. He very slowly stood up as his girlfriend and the strange man continued to kiss and grope each other, not even a little aware that he was in the room. Bog cleared his throat. 

No reaction. 

He cleared his throat again, louder. 

Rolande looked over and gasped. “BOG!” 

* 

Bog sat on the couch, still cuddling the empty bottle of wine while looking confused and hurt. Next to him sat the man who had been making out with his girlfriend, while Rolande sat across from the two of them in one of her living room chairs. 

She smiled. She was a beautiful woman--slim, with long blonde hair and green eyes. But now that Bog was really looking at her, he could see a falseness to her. Her eyes lacked sparkle, her face was too perfect, and there wasn’t any warmth in her. She didn’t feel the least bit apologetic or guilty about the fact that she was cheating on him! 

Even seeing that lack of sympathy in her gaze, he still couldn’t help feeling that his heart had just been ripped out and stomped on. 

Rolande smiled. “I’m sorry Bog, but..I, I need validation all the time and you just aren't good at that.” 

Bog blinked and frowned, then glanced around at the flowers, the cold dinner, as she continued. 

“Maybe that’s something you could work at Bog honey?” She grinned as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. 

Bog frowned narrowing his eyes. “This is super fucked. You know that right?” 

Rolande smiled and shared a glance with the man she had been cheating on him with. “But, you know...maybe we could...try something new?!” 

The man next to Bog was handsome, with short brown hair, dressed in black leather pants (Bog frowned--who wore black leather in the middle of summer?), and a black silk shirt, open down to the middle of his chest. The man reached over, ran his hand along Bog’s thigh and squeezed his knee. 

Bog’s eyes widened as he took the other man’s hand and lifted it off his leg. “Ah...no.” 

Bog stood up still hugging his empty bottle protectively against his chest. “I’m going home.” 

The man reached up and pinched Bog ass. 

Bog’s eyes widened. He turned so swiftly even he didn’t realize what he was doing until the empty wine bottle hit the other man across the face, flattening him. The man fell sideways onto the couch. 

Rolande squeaked. “BOG!” 

Bog vibrated with anger. “No means no!” 

He turned and walked to the door. 

Rolande sighed, following him, though she spared a glance to her “lover” who had pushed himself up, and gingerly moved his jaw side to side. “See Bog? You have no sense of adventure.” 

Bog had just opened the door and stepped through with Rolande hot on his heels. She reached out to stop him, but Bog slammed the door shut so swiftly that Rolande walked right into it and crushed her nose. 

He heard the shriek on the other side, but he kept walking. 

* 

Two days later. 

On the other side of the city, Marianne stepped out of the taxi and paid the driver with a smile. “Thanks for the ride.” 

The taxi driver, a young man of Iranian descent gave her a bright smile. “My pleasure.” 

She grinned, slipped her hands into the pockets of her slacks as she turned to study the building before her. Marianne’s hair was styled in a slightly punk cut, short and wild. Her hair always had that wind blown look, but with a slight air of high fashion. She wore a tailored dark plum suit, with a short jacket and slim cut slacks, a dark burgundy blouse underneath and a pair of burgundy peep toe heels. She grinned and rocked back and forth on her heels as she looked at the hotel, The Grand Primrose. 

She smiled wider, looked both ways, and walked across the street at a clipped pace and into the hotel, her smile never wavering. 

* 

The inside of the Grand Primrose hearkened back to the days when staying in a hotel was an experience, with an expensive looking soft gold and white marble entrance way that extended into the lobby, where large green plants sat in exquisitely crafted large pots and gorgeous crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Marianne’s gaze roamed over the place, impressed with the luxurious hotel decor. She didn’t head to the desk, or the restaurant located on the first floor, but instead she walked up to the elevator and hit the ‘up’ button. 

She smiled as she stepped onto the elevator a moment later, her hands still in her pockets. The doors closed behind her leaving Marianne alone in the elevator. The music in the elevator was some upbeat jazz that had Marianne swinging her hips from side to side which she followed with a little two step, then a spin on the balls of her feet, doing a full circle which she followed with a little backward step and another spin, this time on the heels of her shoes. She grinned happily when the elevator chimed for her floor. Marianne made her way down the hall, with its thick red and gold carpet and walls decorated in ivory and gold. She grinned. It was a really nice hotel--really nice. She did a turn and slid her heeled foot along the carpet, spun around, her arms slightly bent in the air almost duplicating a perfect pirouette before she weaved her hips back and forth. She stopped in front of an evergreen colored door near the end of the hall. 

She knocked on the door and folded her hands behind her back to wait. 

The door was opened only a moment later by a man, perhaps in his fifties and wearing a nice suit, a full head of white hair and a confused expression. 

He stuck his head out the door and looked both ways before he returned his attention to her. “Can I help you?” 

Marianne smiled “Mr. James Coleman?” 

The man looked confused, but nodded. “Yes, that’s me--can I help you?” 

He glanced at her, then gave her the up and down inspection, his eyes lingered on her hips, then on her breasts. Marianne felt a moment of irritation. Her hands balled into fists, but she continued to smile as she spoke. “Yes, I’m supposed to be in Milwaukee killing your wife so you can take her half of your business, that she would have won in the divorce, correct?” 

The man looked startled. “What?” 

Marianne smiled. “You called a fixer to take care of your wife. Well, I’m the hitman you hired, or sorry, the hitwoman you hired to kill your wife.” 

Coleman looked startled and leaned out the door, looking around then back at her, his eyes narrowed. “What do you want? Did you do it? Why are you here?” 

Marianne smiled pleasantly as she reached into the pocket of her jacket and pulled out a red clown nose. She placed the round, red nose on her nose with a wide smile. 

The man stared at her like she was crazy. He dropped his voice to a desperate whisper as he hissed. “But, but you’re a hitman. I hired you. What are you doing?” 

Marianne pulled her gun with its suppressor attachment out from the holster under her arm, hidden by her jacket until now, and shrugged. “Well, nobody’s perfect Mr. Coleman.” 

Coleman’s eyes widened in horror. “What’re you doing?” 

Marianne smiled. “Murder is wrong Mr. Coleman.” 

Marianne shot him in the forehead with a bright smile before she put her gun away. She did a little spin before she pushed Mr. Coleman’s feet out of the way and closed the door. 

* 

Across town, Bog’s voice could be heard coming from the inside of his mother’s hall closet. The sound was muffled, but it was clear that Bog was singing. His Scottish accent, which had lightened over his years living in the states, had grown thicker with the fact that he was drunk and singing mournful songs at the top of his lungs. 

“I'm lying alone with my head on the phone 

Thinking of you till it hurts 

I know you hurt too but what else can we do 

Tormented and torn apart…” 

In the living room, Griselda, a very short, older woman with frizzy red hair, rolled her eyes. She loved her son, but nearly every time he got his heart broken, he ended up in a closet, drunk, singing Air Supply, and he hated Air Supply. Sitting across from her were Theo and Stephanie, Bog’s cousin and his wife. 

“So how long as he been like this, this time?” Theo, a short man with glasses too big for his face and short brown hair that refused to stay slicked back asked as he leaned over and picked up his cup from on the living room table. He patted his wife Stephanie's thigh who looked a little confused by the drunk singing. Stephanie was much taller than her husband, with broad shoulders and honey blonde hair. Where her husband was short and thin, Stephanie was muscular and tall. They were quite a pair Griselda thought, but they complimented each other and were very much in love. 

Griselda smiled at Stephaine as she explained. “Anytime Bog has a bad break up he drinks himself silly and sings in the closet. You can usually tell how bad it is by what songs he’s singing...Air Supply means it's the worst possible break up.” 

Griselda sighed. “He came home two nights ago with twelve bottles of wine. I knew it was bad when he came to the house instead of going to his place over the garage and has only left the hall closet to go to the bathroom. I’m not sure, but I think he finished all twelve bottles.” Griselda sighed again with a shake of her head. “I called you honey, because I’m going to need help getting him to take a shower.” Griselda sipped her coffee. 

Theo paled. “Two days, eh? He’s been drunk for two days? Must have been a bad break up.” 

Griselda nodded. “Yeah. When he came home he was in tears. I got out of him that Rolande had cheated on him...something about a romantic dinner and her making out on the table with a strange man and something else about a threesome, but he had started drinking before he got here, so I’m not completely sure of the details.” Griselda set her coffee mug down. “But I gave him space and waited. But now we are on day three and, well...that boy needs a shower and to sober up.” 

Theo nodded and sighed with a glance at his wife. 

She smiled and patted his leg. “Come on Thang, let’s go get him.” 

Griselda stood up and walked them both down the hall to the closet. It was a small, regular hall closet. Griselda put her hand on the knob and turned to Stephanie. 

“Now don’t look him in the eye, he takes that as a confrontation.” 

Stephanie paled and Griselda shook her head. “Oh don’t worry honey, he won’t attack you, though he might start singing again.” (Right now the trio could hear Bog muttering to himself.) 

Griselda glanced at the two of them. “Ready?” 

The two of them nodded and Griselda yanked open to the door. Bog sat on the floor of the closet, his long legs folded up against him, empty wine bottles strewn all around him. His dress shirt was stained with wine, his hair was a mess, and he wore only one sock. 

He looked up, his blue eyes bloodshot and hissed at them before he scooted back behind some of the coats hanging up in the closet. 

His accent was thick as he muttered. “Go away!! This is my space!!” 

Griselda sighed. “Bog honey, that’s enough, time to come out.” 

Bog batted at his mother when she reached down to him. “No!!!” 

She motioned Theo over. “Look, your cousin is here with Steph--they want to say Hi.” 

Bog scooted to the side and accidentally kicked wine bottles, made them roll around and clink into each other as he tried to scrunch himself deeper into the closet corner. 

“No!” 

“Bog, now come on. That’s enough.” Griselda reached in and grabbed her son by the arm. She lifted him up. Bog let her, though he wobbled up onto his feet. He was like a great tree, ready to fall over at any moment. He smelled terrible, of cheap wine, bad breath, and having worn the same clothes for almost three days. 

“Bog, now stop,” his mother chided him. 

Bog pouted. “No!” He turned around and tried to fall back into the closet. “I wanna stay in here!” 

Theo stepped in and grabbed for one of Bog’s arms. 

Bog yelped and batted ineffectually at Theo. “Don’t touch me!” 

Theo glanced over his shoulder at his wife with a pleading look in his eyes. Steph gave her husband a smile and nodded as she moved closer. Bog stumbled while he tried to twist away, his back hit the back of the closet as his neck hit the closet rod. He began to slide down as he muttered. “Don’t get physical with me!! I’ll get physical with you!” 

Griselda sighed. “Bog, stop fighting me! Do you want me to make your favorite cookies? Would you come out of the closet for that?” 

Bog had finally slid down the wall and landed on his ass. He looked up at his mother, his eyes wide and he grinned. “Cookies?” 

“Yes honey...you just let us get you out of the closet and I’ll make you some cookies. Okay?” Griselda smiled at her son an Bog nodded. “Okay--cookies.” 

Theo reached down and grabbed Bog’s arm, Griselda grabbed his other arm while Stephanie grabbed his feet, together the three of them carried Bog out of the closet and down the hall. Bog giggled and flopped his hands around and sang loudly. 

“I'm all out of love, I'm so lost without you 

I know you were right believing for so long!!!” 

The three of them sighed as they headed for the bathroom. They awkwardly held Bog while Griselda turned on the shower, then as careful as they could, the placed him fully clothed into the tub. 

Bog yelped. “Aaah!! Water!!” 

Griselda sighed. “No cookies until you are clean.” 

Bog glared up at her from the tub. The water plastered his hair down on his head as he stuck out of bottom lip. 

“And clean clothes Bog.” She pointed her finger at her son. 

Bog sighed. “Fine. But I want a lot of cookies.” 

His mother smiled. “Of course dear,” she said calmly as she walked out and closed the bathroom door shut behind her. 

* 

Outside the Grand Primrose, parked along a curb, was a large black cargo truck. Inside the truck were seven people. 

Aura Plum, a woman of around fifty, slim, fit, and with short white hair cut in a classy bob wore cargo slacks, combat boots and a brown t-shirt over which she had a bulletproof vest. She sat with her hands folded between her legs near the front of the truck watching the six people she had hired, two women and three men. They were laughing and talking as they checked over their weapons. All of them were dressed in similar military fashion, with bulletproof vests, boots, cargo pants, the works; they looked like a typical mercenary group. Plum watched in disbelief as all of them casually laughed off this job. 

One of the men who called himself Tiger laughed. “She is worth enough I could retire.” 

The man across from him, Dick (Plum thought to herself that in the history of names, no man had been better labeled) chuckled. “I’m ready to get in there and put this bitch down!” 

The others laughed. 

The six of them stood up and began to exit the vehicle. Dick stopped and turned to look at Plum who had yet to stand up. 

“You coming?” 

She shook her head. “You know, no. I made a mistake. I thought you lot were professional, but…” She shook her head. “Anyway, someone has to return the van after she kills all of you.” 

Dick frowned and stared at Plum, then laughed. “Pussy,” he muttered before he hopped out. 

Plum shook her head. “Idiots.” 

She still had her radio on, connected to the radios carried by the six people she had hired. She could hear them talking as they entered the hotel. “She is coming down the elevator now.” 

Plum stood up to look at a map that she had taped to the wall of the truck. It was a detailed map of each floor of the hotel. She picked up a marker and drew six circles to indicate the six mercs. When she heard them state that their target had come down the elevator Plum muttered. 

“And mistake number one.” 

She heard one of the mercs hiss. “She isn’t in here?” 

Plum smiled and whispered to herself. “Oh yes she is.” 

This was followed by the sounds of weapons fire. Plum grimaced and hissed. “Amateurs.” 

She could hear the mercs yelling back and forth, their voices now tinged with panic--no more laughing now. There was more gunfire as one of the mercs yelled. “She got Alfie!! Brenda!!” 

Plum shrugged and marked an “x” through two of the circles she had drawn. “Two down, four to go.” 

* 

Marianne opened a set of double doors; the red clown nose was still over her nose as she stepped inside where she could see several people in here dressed as waiters as they put on the finishing touches around the room. There were fairy lights everywhere, several round tables with white tablecloths and decorative centerpieces, as well as flowers, wine glasses and gold balloons, a large four tier wedding cake. Everything in place for an elegant, memorable celebration. 

Marianne gasped as she walked in and stopped for a moment to admire the room. “Oh wow!! A wedding?” 

Everyone in the room turned to stare at her. She grinned, though her gun was in her hand. The wait staff stood frozen as Marianne walked swiftly down the middle of the room. 

“You guys did a fabulous job! I love this, really gorgeous.” 

No one moved. Marianne turned and motioned. “Ah, you guys should really leave.” 

* 

Over the radio Plum heard the mercs yelling. “She just went into the ballroom.” 

Plum made a face. “Oh God, don’t follow her into an open space!” she said and then muttered, “Idiots.” 

* 

Marianne had walked to the front of the room where a large banner was hung that read: “Congratulations Phoebe and Mark,” while under the banner was a large wedding cake decorated with ivory and gold flowers. 

Marianne gasped. “Oh wow, look at the cake!! That is just beautiful!!” 

She dragged her finger through the frosting and stuck her finger in her mouth. 

She moaned. “Oh my god that is good! A buttercream wedding cake instead of fondant! Wow!!” 

She turned to look at the room of waiters who were still staring at her. 

Marianne stood under the banner by the cake and yelled. “Okay you guys need to go. I thought I told you that.” 

The wait staff stared at her. Marianne rolled her eyes. “ Okay: FIRE!! GO NOW!!” 

She gestured with her gun which sent everyone screaming as they scattered out of the double doors. 

* 

Inside the truck Plum sighed. “Glad I didn’t pay them in advance.” 

* 

The last of the mercs burst into the ballroom. Marianne had ducked down behind the wedding cake. She glanced up over the edge of the table, still wearing her red clown nose, and fired her weapon at the ceiling where several hundred gold and ivory balloons floated. When her bullets ripped through the balloons, they popped releasing a glittering rainfall of gold confetti down on the mercs. 

The mercs began to fire their weapons into the room ripping through the flowers, the wine glasses, the chairs...completely destroying everything. 

Marianne had ducked back down, only her weapon visible over the top of the table and shot, hitting one man in the shoulder. 

* 

Plum heard the last woman on the team yell. “I have her!” 

* 

Marianne smiled and shot; her bullet ripped through a glass vase of flowers and hit the woman in the forehead. 

* 

From the truck’s interior Plum sighed as she listened to the radio. “I actually liked her, real shame.” as she marked out the circle that represented the female merc. 

* 

Inside the ballroom, the merc named Tiger started to move forward, toward where Marianne was hiding. He had just walked into the center of the room when Marianne rushed out of her hiding place while at the same time she shot the man in the knee. Tiger yelled and leaned forward which allowed Marianne to grab him by his shoulder. She flipped the man over onto his back with one hand and shot him in the head before she hurried off and disappeared again before the other three could see her. 

The man she had wounded in the shoulder yelled. “She’s behind the cake!” 

The last of the mercenaries aimed their weapons at the wedding cake and fired. The bullets ripped through the confection, tearing it to shreds. 

* 

Inside the truck, Plum rolled her eyes. “If she is by the cake, she has a knife you idiots.” 

* 

Inside the ballroom one of the mercs stumbled backwards, his weapon fired up into the ceiling where the remaining balloons exploded, dropping more glittering gold confetti down on them as a knife suddenly appeared in his chest. 

Another merc turned, just as another knife flew out of seemingly nowhere and hit in him the back of the neck. 

The last merc was firing his weapons without regard, completely destroying the cake. He was so focused on firing his weapons throughout the room before him that he didn’t realize that Marianne was behind him. She stood there with a fire extinguisher in her hands watching him as he destroyed the cake and the furniture around it. The merc fired until his guns clicked empty. 

Marianne sighed, the merc turned to see her, surprised for a moment by how cute she was as Marianne muttered. “Who shoots cake?” 

She almost clicked her tongue in annoyance as she hit him across the face with the fire extinguisher. 

* 

Plum sighed as she heard Marianne’s voice over the radio. “It was going to be such a nice wedding too.” 

* 

Griselda stood in her kitchen, a bowl under her arm as she mixed up the cookie dough, when she heard Bog humming as he walked into the kitchen, a towel over his head. 

He was dressed in clean clothes now, a pair of jeans and a light blue t-shirt. He toweled his hair dry as he stepped over and sat at the breakfast bar in his mom’s kitchen. 

Stephanie pulled some cookies out of the oven while Theo sat at the breakfast bar with a cup of coffee. 

He grinned at Bog as he pushed a cup of hot coffee, clearly poured only moments ago, in front of the tall Scottish man. 

“You look better,” the shorter man said. 

Bog pulled the towel off his head, his dark hair was wet and stuck out all over his head, but he looked--and smelled--much better. 

“I was thinking. We should go out tonight. You, me, Steph, maybe call Brutus...go do something fun. I don’t know, find a block party…” Bog reached out and grabbed a cookie as Stephanie used a spatula to slide the hot cookies onto a plate sitting on the counter. 

Bog picked one of the cookies up, yelped a bit when his fingers were slightly burned. Griselda made a face at him. “Bog, let them cool off first!” 

Bog looked up at his mother, his eyes wide, just as he took a bite of a hot cookie. He winced, then held his mouth open as he waved his hand in front of his mouth, the hot cookie on his tongue as he mumbled. “Hot hot!” 

Griselda rolled her eyes. “You’ve been doing that since you were a kid.” She shook her head and turned around to start placing dough on the cookie sheet. 

Theo frowned. “I don’t know Bog.” 

Bog chewed and swallowed his cookie. “Oh come on Theo! I wanna do something...I don’t know...something terrible.” He grinned wickedly. “Take a few days off work, have some fun…” 

Griselda narrowed her eyes as she looked at her son over her shoulder. “More terrible than going on a three day drunk binge in a closet?” 

Bog frowned at his mother while he snagged another cookie. “I just want to go do something fun.” 

* 

That evening, Bog, Theo, Stephanie, and Brutus all sat on the couch in his mother’s living room, a plate of cookies, on the living room table in front of them, several glasses of chocolate milk spaced out in front of each person. Bog was slumped down, his knees up against the table, his arms folded over his chest. Theo and his wife looked uncomfortable and Brutus just stared at the tv. Bog’s mother sat in her recliner, knitting another of her endless scarfs, and a movie ran on the tv in front of them. 

Bog narrowed his eyes at the television screen, currently displaying Fifty Shades of Grey. 

Bog muttered. “This isn’t exactly what I meant when I said something terrible.” 

Stephanie muttered. “I don’t know--watching this movie is terrible.” 

Brutus, a large bald man who Bog had gone to college with (he had been a film major and was always making art house films now, and he was a waiter) had his arms folded over his chest staring at the movie. “I think this movie is a reflection of our souls. That need to find someone who will dominate us, but will also care for us. The dark, plainess of who we are, the flatness of existence.” 

Theo, Steph and Bog all stared at Brutus as if he were crazy. 

Griselda spoke up without looking at any of them, her eyes on the movie. “Shut up my dears. I love this movie.” 

Bog groaned and dropped his head back against the couch. “My life sucks. What is wrong with me?? I’m a disaster? I’m a mess. I’m hopeless aren’t I?” 

Theo leaned over and patted his cousin’s leg. “You’re not hopeless Bog...you’re just going through a bad time.” 

Theo glanced at his wife, then back to Bog. “How about you come to work with me tomorrow?” 

Bog sat up. “Are you serious? I love the cats!” 

Theo laughed. “Well, the cats love you too Bog. You can pet them and just...you know, chill.” 

Bog smiled. “That might be fun.” 

* 

The next morning inside an apartment, Plum slipped on her suit. She was dressed in a grey business suit, with white blouse, and flat, black, no nonsense shoes. She tapped her phone as an electronic voice replied, “Agent 447. You have been given a new identity. You are now FBI Agent Alice Liddell from the southern field office. Because of your relationship to the target we remind you that failure will not be tolerated. Your main goal is to eliminate the target.” 

Plum narrowed her eyes at her phone, but made no reply. 

* 

Plum had just stepped off the elevator of her apartment building and began heading out when a young woman who sat in the lobby, looking through some files, glanced up. “Agent Liddell?” 

Plum stopped and turned. The woman--young, blonde, pretty--hurried over. 

“Agent Liddell, I’m agent Reeves. I’m so happy to have you here at our office.” 

Plum smiled and shook her hand. “I’m so happy to be here.” 

* 

Across town at Theo’s place “Dark Forest Pet Boarding and Grooming” Bog stood in front of several cages, each with one or two cats inside. Bog had a pair of faux cat ears on his head as he stood with his hands in the pockets of his jeans, wearing a red t-shirt with a winged unicorn on it being ridden by an astronaut. 

Bog stared at a couple of the cats who were snarling and hissing. He narrowed his eyes. “Aren’t they supposed to be relaxing?” 

Theo, who had a cat brush in one hand signed. “Yeah, well...yes, but...why are you wearing those cat ears?” 

Bog, who had leaned close to the cage looking at the cat inside, a little black and white who seemed to be very angry, muttered. “I found them behind the counter.” 

Theo sighed. “Bog, those are for the kids.” 

Bog shrugged standing up straight again. He looked down at Theo, who only came up to the middle of Bog’s chest. “I like them.” 

Theo stared up at Bog, then shook his head. 

Bog leaned back down to look at the same cat again. “He’s a cutie.” 

Theo shook his head. “Oh no he isn’t. That cat’s name is Hannibal and he is the devil incarnate! He’ll rip your face off if given a chance.” 

Bog frowned staring at the cute little cat. “Are you kidding me?” 

Theo shook his head. “No Bog I’m serious. That cat is evil.” 

Bog grinned as he watched the cat. “This is a metaphor! This cat is a reflection of my soul! I too am evil, but we both just need someone to understand us!” 

Theo who had been about to pick up another cat out of a different cage stopped. “Bog, no. No it's not, that cat is not a metaphor for your soul. You are not evil.” 

“It is! And I am!” Bog leaned in closer and put his finger in the cage. 

Theo shook his head more vigorously at Bog. “Don’t stand that close Bog...that cat is going to eat your finger...Bog...what are you doing??!! BOG!” 

Bog had reached up to open the cage door. “This cat and I are going to be friends. Best buds.” 

“Bog! NO!” Theo yelped rushing over to stop his cousin, but he was too late. 

The moment Bog opened the cage door, Hannibal launched itself at Bog. Bog grabbed for the cat, but the little animal ripped into Bog’s hands. Bog yelped and tried to shove Hannibal back in the cage, but the little feline struggled, squirming like a slippery eel. Theo rushed over and tried to grab the cat, but Hannibal leapt up and slashed. 

Both men screamed. 

* 

An hour later Bog and Theo sat on the bench outside in front of the pet boarding house and stared at the street in front of them. Bog’s hands were dangling between his legs, both hands scratched up, but he still wore the cat ears. Theo sat beside him, his wounded hands wrapped around a coffee cup. Theo had been scratched, not just all over his hands, but his arms and face as well. Theo had long angry scratches along his cheek, forehead, and chin. They both stared out, watching the cars drive by. 

Bog murmured. “I can’t believe the way that cat exploded out of the cage. And the way he pissed on your face. I didn’t know cats could do that and at that angle. That was some Jason Bourne shit.” 

Theo just nodded. 

Bog sighed and rubbed his lips together before he reached up to rub the back of his neck with his hand. “In the metaphor, do you think I won or lost?” 

Theo said nothing. 

They were both quiet again for a few moments when Bog asked softly. “Do you think pissing in your face like that is a defense mechanism? Does it always go for the face or was the cat just lucky? Or maybe Hannibal just doesn't like your face? Maybe that cat is half spider because that was one wicked angle and that spin...” 

Theo didn’t look at Bog as he muttered. “You know Bog, it wasn’t a metaphor.” 

Bog glanced sideways at Theo at the same time as he rubbed his hands down his thighs and sat up straight. “Yeah...I suppose you’re right.” 

Theo sighed. “You know Bog, maybe you should just head home okay?” 

Bog turned to look at his cousin. “You sure? I don't mind sta…” 

Theo cut him off. “I’m sure Bog, you head on home.” 

Bog was quiet for a few more moments before he nodded, smacked his thighs, and pushed himself up. “Well, ah...okay I guess.” 

Bog looked down at Theo. “Call you later?” 

Theo grinned. “Sure thing Bog.” 

Bog smiled. Theo’s grin meant that everything was okay between them despite the misstep with the cat. Bog waved and turned heading home. 

He still wore the cat ears. 

* 

Bog had decided to walk home instead of taking a cab. He had ridden to work with Theo that morning, but it wasn’t terribly far and a walk would be good he thought. The day was warm, but nice with just enough of a breeze off the water to make the walk pleasant. He decided to stop at a little convenience store along the way, maybe pick up some bandaids, some chips...who knew? Maybe he would do something wild and buy a slushie. 

When he arrived at the little corner store, Bog walked in and made his way to the medical products aisle. 

* 

Marianne waltzed into the store with a smile on her face. She was dressed in a halter top sundress with a very loud, yellow and red pattern parrot design on it, with a pair of little bike shorts underneath, and some lace up gladiator sandals. She had come in for a slushie and had just walked past one of the aisles, thinking about picking herself up some gummi bears too when she saw him. 

Marianne took two steps backwards, her eyes widening when she saw a very tall, lean man who was all sharp angles, dark hair, long, agile fingers...her heart skipped a beat. He was gorgeous!!! 

And he wore a pair of cute little cat ears on his head!! 

* 

Bog pulled down a box of bandages and a little bottle of first aid cream off the shelf. He frowned for a moment as that feeling of someone watching him rolled over him. He turned to look down the aisle, but he saw no one there. 

Bog frowned and shrugged before he walked around the end cap looking at the chips when he turned and stopped. There, standing in front of him was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, except that was also the moment his shoulder bumped a display of condoms. 

The precariously stacked condoms were knocked into the air and began to fall. Bog stared at the woman as his hand shot out catching one boxes of the condoms, but the tiny, pretty woman, caught all the them, stacked, one on top of another, one pile in one hand, the other pile of condoms in her other hand. 

Bog had caught only the one box with his free hand. 

He blinked in astonishment. “How…” 

The petite woman smiled and looked at the twin towers of condoms in her hand. “That’s enough condoms to choke a goat, wow.” 

She giggled and placed them back on the shelf. She turned back to him, still staring a bit and giggled again. “Hey, ah, you wanna get out of here?” 

Bog stared at her with a confused frown. “What?” 

The pretty woman giggled again. “Is that creepy? Am I being creepy? Maybe that is creepy, I’m never sure...you wanna go on a date?” 

Bog started and blinked. “What?” 

She smiled brightly, then squeaked. “Oh my gosh you have an accent! A date!! We could go on a date. I mean, what else do you have going on today?” She put her hands behind her back and smiled even brighter. 

Bog frowned. “Don’t you have something to do today?” 

The pretty young woman shrugged. “Nah...I mean, yeah I’m being chased by international killers, but I have time for a date. I mean I really wanna go on a date with you.” 

Bog narrowed his eyes. “This is a joke isn’t it? No. I don’t wanna go on a date. I mean why?” 

“Why not?” she asked as Bog moved past her and headed toward the register, but he continued to talk to her as she followed him. 

Bog frowned. “You don’t even know me.” 

“That’s why we go on a date--so I can get to know you.” She walked beside him and leaned on the counter by the register when he stopped and placed his purchases on the counter. 

Bog frowned, clearly confused and a little worried. “Are you crazy?” 

“Why would I be crazy?” she asked with a broad smile. 

He sighed. “Pretty women don’t ask me out. No women ask me out, no one ever asks me out.” 

Marianne frowned. “Why not?” 

Bog pulled his wallet out of his back pocket. “Are you blind?” 

The brunette giggled. “No.” She grabbed a pair of rather large red framed sunglasses off of a display by the register. She put them on and turned back to him. “Come on--go out with me, hey what happened to your hand?” 

Bog looked down at his hand. “Uh, rogue cat.” 

He blushed suddenly remembering that the cat ears were on his head. He swallowed and reached up pulling them off. 

The pretty young woman pulled the glasses off staring at him. “You are really handsome.” 

Bog narrowed his eyes at her. “Who sent you? Is it Rolande? This isn’t funny.” 

The brunette frowned. “Who’s Rolande? Is she bothering you? Want me to take her out?” 

Bog shook his head with a slight smile. “No…” He sighed, clearly confused. He rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t understand…” 

She smiled at him. 

Bog blushed. 

She had a gorgeous smile, big brown eyes, a cute little mouth, questionable taste in sundresses and she was funny. She seemed too good to be true. 

She elbowed him softly in the side. “Come on, go on a date with me. I promise I’m more fun than a barrel full of murderous cats.” 

Bog chuckled. “I...I guess so.” 

The woman hopped in place and clapped her hands. “You are not going to regret this!”


	2. Sledgehammer

Bog found himself a few minutes later sitting outside under a large umbrella that sat in front of The Fried Onion restaurant, eating a classic New York style hot dog while watching the pretty young woman across from him attacking her hot dog--a Brick House hot dog which came with bacon, cheese and fried onions--like she had never eaten anything before in her entire life. Bog had to smile watching her as he picked up his hot dog. She bit into the hot dog with all the relish of a preschooler, letting the melted cheese run down her chin as she chewed with a goofy grin on her face. 

“Ah mygawdthisissogood!” The young woman giggled with her mouth stuffed. 

Bog chuckled almost not understanding her as he took a bite of his own hot dog. 

“They do make the best dogs in town,” he said. 

She continued to chew, rolling her eyes with pleasure. She swallowed and took a sip of her soda. “I don’t think I have ever tasted anything so good!” She grinned at him and took another huge bite. She chewed thoughtfully, her head tilted as she studied Bog. 

Bog frowned slightly under her scrutiny until she pointed at his t-shirt. “I really like your shirt, it says you have tons of confidence. That’s very sexy.” 

Bog looked down at his shirt, the astronaut riding the unicorn and chuckled. “Confidence? Me?” He chuckled and the tips of his ears turned red. “Nah, I just bought it on a dare, but turns out it's one of my favorite shirts.” Bog shrugged. “I don’t know, makes me feel…” He smiled. “I guess you’re right, it makes me feel confident. Sort of a “give no shit” shirt.” He blushed and took a bite of his hot dog and mumbled around it. “Fake it until you’re not faking it anymore I guess.” 

The brunette giggled. “I like that.” 

Bog blushed a brighter shade of red and picked up a bite of fried onion from his hot dog that had fallen to his plate. “I used to make such an effort to make sure what I wore reflected what was going on in here…” He pointed at his head after he popped the onion into his mouth. “Especially when I was younger, I wanted to make a statement each time I got dressed. I wanted people to know who I was by the shirt I was wearing; I mean, look at me. I’m tall, awkward, ugly--I thought maybe a good shirt and a good pair of slacks would change that, change how people saw me, but after awhile I just…” He shrugged again playing with the corner of his hot dog bun. “Now I’m just...going through a few things and...” He shrugged. 

She smiled. “That’s a lot of responsibility for a shirt, but I understand.” 

Bog looked up at her and for a moment he was struck dumb. She was just so darn pretty he thought. Pretty was not an accurate term, he realized. She was gorgeous, beautiful with big brown eyes and almost perfect rosebud lips. He really liked her hair, carefree, sort of rebellious. He had never seen a woman as gorgeous as her and here she was, wolfing down a hot dog without caring that there was some cheese on the corner of her mouth. 

He reached over and she went still to let him wipe his thumb over the corner of her mouth. He started to move his hand back, thinking to use a napkin to wipe his thumb, but her hand shot out, almost too fast to follow as she grabbed his wrist. Bog went still, but she brought his hand back and very slowly stuck his thumb in her mouth and sucked off the cheese. 

Bog’s eyes widened until he was sure he looked comical. He swallowed and squirmed in his seat as his pants suddenly became uncomfortably tight. 

She still held his wrist as she grinned at him. 

She giggled. “Hey, wanna go for a walk?” 

* 

Bog wasn’t sure how he got here, but the two of them were walking through one of the local parks, which just happened to be one of his favorites. It was a rose garden that was maintained by the neighborhood as part of the city park and it was gorgeous. Several mulched walking paths twisted and turned through more roses than Bog could count. They were planted based on color so that whole areas would be red roses, others pink, yellow, white, but his absolutely favorite spot was the rose tunnel. It was a long metal trellis that arched overhead and was covered by climbing roses. The scent was heavenly. 

Bog had brought Rolande here once. Rolande had made fun of him about his love of roses. According to her, a real man didn’t like flowers. So Bog had kept his love of the rose garden to himself. Which was why he found it weird that he had brought this woman here AND she had gotten him to talk about his recent break up. 

He shrugged, his hands stuck deep in his front pockets. “I guess she was...I thought she was the one. I mean, I even thought about marrying her. I’m such an idiot. She had cheated on me before, but I always forgave her, went back to her. But this time…” 

The brunette narrowed her eyes. “Bitch.” 

Bog chuckled. “Nah...I mean, yeah she is a bitch, but she was just the latest in a long line of bad choices on my part,” Bog muttered. “I don’t really blame them. I just...maybe I don’t know what I’m doing.” 

His companion stopped and looked at him. She reached forward and tugged one of his hands out of his pockets and held it in hers. 

Bog looked down at her hand holding his as she said softly. “Then why don’t you change what you’re doing?” 

He looked up into those heavenly eyes. “I...I don’t know how.” 

She smiled, sliding her fingers through his and turned to start to walk again, a smile on her lips. “You’re doing it right now.” 

Bog looked a little dumbfounded. 

They walked for several minutes without saying a word. They had reached the middle of the archway of roses; the floral aroma was soft and sweet. She stopped, still holding his hand and looked up at the delicate, tiny blossoms, white and perfect. 

Bog studied her face and said softly. “I don’t know anything about you.” 

She smiled at him. “That’s too bad really. I’m an interesting and complex person.” 

Bog chuckled as they began to walk again coming out from under the roses and started down the trail that led into the “purple” section of flowers. 

She swung their arms as she spoke. “I travel a lot…” 

* 

Hiding in a tree, watching her through the scope of his sniper rifle, was the man that Marianne had left alive, the one she had hit with the fire extinguisher in the hotel. He watched her and Bog moving slowly through the rose gardens. He narrowed his eyes and smiled nastily as he pulled the trigger. 

* 

She giggled. “I like really nice cars and I kill people…” 

Bog chuckled. “I bet that takes a lot of time.” 

She smiled. “Oh it…” 

She saw the glint of light reflecting off glass, the soft sound of compressed air. She ducked just as the bullet went past her. 

* 

The gunman snarled. “Fuck me.” 

He ejected the spent casing, pulled the bolt, and fired again. 

* 

Marianne, still holding Bog’s hand, twisted him around in a dancer’s move as she spun him out, then back again until he was up against her. The bullet meant for her zipped harmlessly past, moving between the space she had created between her and Bog when she swung him out, before she tugged him back against her. She tilted him back, actually dipping him. Bog blinked stunned that such a petite woman could not just spin him, but she was currently dipping him back and holding him as if he weighed nothing at all. 

He blushed and grinned. “What was that?” 

She giggled. “Oh just some poopy head trying to kill me.” 

She placed Bog back on his feet and spun him out with a cute giggle. “Unless he’s out to kill you. Is there something you aren’t telling me?” She narrowed her eyes at him and lifted a brow while a smirk played on her lips. 

Bog laughed. “Nope.” 

She kept a hold of his hand and walked up to him, walking the fingers of her other hand up his chest. “Wanna ditch him?” 

Bog chuckled. “Sure.” 

“Hey, is there someplace we can go dancing?” she asked, keeping a hold of his hand and swinging their arms again as they started to walk out of the garden. 

Bog grinned at her. “Well, I do know this place…” 

* 

The gunman tried to fire again only to have his gun jam. He hissed and cursed hammering at the weapon, but it wouldn’t cooperate. He looked up only to see that Marianne and the man she was with had disappeared. 

He snarled and slammed his gun down. “Fuck, fuck, FUCK!” 

* 

The sun had just set, the air cooling down for the evening, the pinks and oranges in the sky slowly fading to blues and purples. 

The nightclub where Bog took her was called Jones. It was a fluorescent hued club filled with dayglo neon, with purples and reds being the dominant colors. The music was strictly 80’s and 90’s and the decor hearkened back to those decades. 

Marianne gasped, her eyes wide. Her hands came up to grab her cheeks in astonishment as they stood in the doorway of the club. 

“This is awesome!!” she squealed. 

Bog glanced down at her and laughed. “Really? Rolande hated this place.” 

She turned and looked at him like he was crazy. “Okay, she was an idiot. It’s a good thing you dumped her or I would have had to kill her.” 

Bog chuckled, but then his laugh died a little because she looked very serious. But in the next instant her expression transformed into a lovely smile as she grabbed his hand. “Come on! Dance with me!” 

Bog nearly stumbled as his petite companion yanked in inside, holding his hand as she dragged him onto the dance floor as “Sledgehammer” began to play. She laughed and threw her arms into the air as she hopped around in time to the music. Bog laughed with her, punching his arms back and forth and moving his hips purposely dance like a goof. She grinned at him, wrinkling her nose and took his hands, pulling him around with her. Bog laughed as she leaned in and sang loudly. 

“I want to be your sledgehammer 

Why don't you call my name 

Oh let me be your sledgehammer 

This will be my testimony 

Show me round your fruit cakes 

'Cause I will be your honey bee 

Open up your fruit cakes 

Where the fruit is as sweet as can be..” 

She jumped around him laughing, but when he reached out to lay his hands on her waist, Marianne threw herself into his arms and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Her smile was intoxicating, the way she looked into his eyes. Bog realized there was nothing shy about her. She didn’t kiss him, but she ran her fingers into his hair and rubbed her nose against his and whispered just for him to hear. 

“Put your mind at rest 

I'm going to be the sledgehammer.” 

She said the lines with an air of seduction that had Bog trembling ever so slightly. She smiled and pressed her nose against his with a grin. Bog lifted her up off her feet and laughed softly. She put her hands on his shoulders as he spun around with her, threw her head back and laughed. 

He set her down again as the music changed to Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You.” 

She wrapped her arms tight around his shoulders and swayed with the music. 

Bog grinned, the hint of crooked teeth just visible as he wrapped his arms around her waist and swayed with her. She giggled and stepped out of the circle of his arms, took his hand and spun him out. Bog laughed. He hadn’t been dancing very often, but he had been a few times and this was the first time the woman took the lead, but he found himself enjoying it as she pulled him back and dipped him back, wrinkling her nose at him in an adorable way that had 

Bog’s heart thumping hard inside this chest. 

* 

It was well after midnight by the time they were walking back to Bog’s place. They had danced for hours, drank so many different cocktails that Bog had lost count. He knew he was slightly drunk, just a little tipsy, but he felt good. They had bought matching t-shirts at the bar, both bright pink. Bog’s read “Bitch Two” and the one his date wore read “Bitch One.” They were both wearing matching pairs of ridiculous red, heart-framed sunglasses, walking to his mother’s house carrying plastic fish bowl drinks. 

They had been speaking as they walked about their issues with, well everything Bog realized. She had her shoes hanging over her shoulder walked barefoot beside him as she murmured, “I think my biggest problem is I always have to be the best at whatever it is I decide to do.” 

Bog glanced sideways at her lifting up his sunglasses to rest on the top of his head. “Everything?” 

She grinned and nodded. “Yep, best dressed, best cook, best...dancer...best assassin…” 

She shrugged. 

Bog smiled. “There’s nothing wrong with that I suppose, but what happens when you’re not the best?” 

She stopped walking and looked up at the sky. “I don’t know. I’ve always been the best.” 

Bog chuckled and she turned to look at him. He laughed again, the heart shaped sunglasses made her look adorable. She pulled out a red clown nose from the pocket of her dress and placed it on her nose. 

“What are you laughing at?” She giggled before sucking through the straw of her drink which was empty so that she only made a loud bubbly sound. 

He reached out and touched the red clown nose with the tip of his finger, pushing on it as he chuckled. 

Bog smiled at her then murmured. “You are so pretty.” 

She pushed her sunglasses up and took a step closer looking up at him, the red nose still in place. “You are so handsome.” 

They stared at each other. Marianne stood on her toes, reaching up at the same time to cup his face with one hand. Bog took the clown nose off her nose just before she pressed her lips to his. Bog’s eyes slid close as he returned her kiss tenderly, a sweet kiss but the moment her tongue brushed against his, Bog opened his mouth to her. 

Their kissing soon turned passionate. Bog wrapped his arms around her, lifting her off her feet. She giggled, swinging her legs as her arms went tight around his shoulders. 

They stayed that way for a few minutes while kissing hungrily. 

Bog pulled away just enough to whisper. “Ah, you wanna come inside?” 

Marianne grinned. “I would like that very much.” 

* 

Bog brought her to his apartment over the garage (thanking god he had cleaned the day before after his bender.) 

He had just turned the lights on when she dropped her fish bowl to the floor and threw herself at him. 

Bog yelped and dropped his fish bowl, stumbling backwards as he held onto her. The back of his legs hit the arm of his couch causing Bog to topple over onto the couch cushions with his date on top of him. She kissed him hungrily, her hands stroked back his hair from his face. 

Bog grinned stupidly and returned her kisses while his hands stroked up her back. 

He wasn’t aware he had left the door open. 

* 

Griselda had been watching out for Bog all day and all evening. She had called Theo when Bog hadn’t returned that afternoon only to learn he had walked home, except he had never shown up! He never called either. The day turned to night and nothing! He hadn’t called and he had ignored or couldn’t answer any of her calls and texts! She had been beside herself with worry. All his mother could think about was that her son had gone on another bender and was passed out somewhere in a gutter or had been hurt, maybe robbed and was bleeding in an alley or the worst thought of all, he had hurt himself. 

So when she had seen the door to his apartment over the garage was open, Griselda grabbed her baseball bat and headed out there to see what was going on. 

She walked into the apartment, the bat over her shoulder, ready to hurt anyone in here who wasn’t Bog, when she saw her son on his couch with a petite, pretty woman attacking him like he was the lunch special. 

“Bog?” 

Bog sat up, nearly tumbling Marianne off of him, but grabbed her at the last second. She giggled and wrapped her arms around him and shifted to sit on Bog’s lap. “Hi!! You must be the mother!” 

Griselda arms went dead as she dropped the bat to clatter loudly on the floor. “Uh hello?” 

Bog blushed. “Hey Mam, uh…” 

Bog’s date popped up to her feet and waved. “Hi!! I’m the weirdo that he met at the convenience store.” 

She then walked down the short hall and poked her head in the doorway. “Hey, is this your bedroom! Wow!” She stepped inside. 

Bog turned to look down the tiny hall then back at his mother. “Uh…” 

Griselda reached down and picked up the bat. “So. Hum...this what you’ve been doing all day?” His mother pointed at his bedroom with the bat as they both heard the young woman from in the room gasping and yelling. “You have a Playstation!” 

Bog stood up and rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, ah...yeah.” 

His mother smiled and nodded. “All right, well...at least you’re not dead in a ditch.” 

Bog grinned and shrugged. “Yeah…” 

Griselda whispered. “So, what’s her name?” 

Bog’s blush deepened. “Ah...it hasn’t come up yet.” 

His mother stared at him. “What?” 

“Does she know your name?” his mother asked in astonishment. 

Bog started to reply when the young woman popped her head out from his doorway and held up a bathrobe. It was covered in dragonflies, a gift from his mother that he hadn’t even worn (not that she knew that). 

“Hey, can I wear this?” She dangled the bathrobe around. 

Bog looked at his mother then at her, then back at his mother. “Ah...yes?” 

The petite brunette squealed and disappeared into the bedroom. 

Griselda frowned slightly then sighed. “Bog honey, just be careful all right?” 

Bog blushed. “It’s fine Mam, I promise.” 

She nodded then turned to leave. She stopped and turned back to look at her son. “You got protection?” 

Bog gasped and his entire face turned red. “MOM!” 

Griselda laughed. “Just asking!!” 

She pulled the door closed as she left. She started down the stairs and stopped for a moment, closed her eyes and thanked god her son was all right. 

* 

Bog stood up and rubbed his hands down his thighs. He was nervous, not sure what he was expecting as he walked into his bedroom. 

* 

When Bog walked into his bedroom, she was lying on his bed in his robe, her dress on the floor next to her sandals. Bog’s heart was pounding hard inside his chest as he stared at her. She grinned and crooked her finger summoning him over to the bed. Bog kicked his shoes off and came over as she patted the mattress. He couldn’t help the nervous giggle as he crawled onto his bed next to her. 

She rolled onto her side, resting her head on the crook of her arm and smiled at him. “So, your name is Bog, eh?” 

He blushed. “Yeah, well… It’s actually Bogart, like the actor, but everyone just calls me Bog.” 

She giggled and traced his bottom lip with her fingertip. Bog sucked his bottom lip in when her touch began to tickle. They both laughed, but she said softly. “I like your name.” 

Bog laid down on his arm and frowned slightly. “I should tell you, I’m still a little messed up over my break up. I don’t...I don’t know…” 

She smiled. “I understand.” She reached out and stroked his jaw. 

Bog glanced down. Her fingertips were soft and her touch felt nice. He swallowed. “But, if you want...I would still like you to stay the night.” 

She giggled and suddenly leapt up and started to bounce on his bed. “Yeah!! I get to stay!!” 

Bog laughed watching her as she bounced up and down before dropping back onto the bed. She cuddled up close to him. “Sorry, I’m nervous. I really like you.” 

Bog brushed his nose against hers. “I really like you too.” 

They kissed softly. Bog put his arm around her waist and pulled her close. 

* 

Not terribly far away, a man and a woman were standing on a bridge in one of the city’s many parks talking. The woman, tall, homely with a blue dyed mohawk, dressed all in black with a Sex Pistols t-shirt on, with both her ears pierced all the way up and she had on several necklaces, giggled. She glanced down then murmured. “I should have cut his head off.” 

The man next to her, short, slicked back dark hair, wearing a brown leather jacket, black shirt and jeans, laughed. “Mandy Moon, you are one sick sonofabitch.” 

She grinned at him showing off her gold incisor. “You know it Von, that’s why you like me.” 

Von laughed. “Yeah maybe. I’ll be glad when this is over and we can get the fuck out of his armpit of a town. No offense, I know you grew up here.” 

Mandy shrugged. “No offense.” 

She was quiet for a moment then murmured. “This is gonna be one hell of a plan.” 

Von grinned. “Fuck yeah it is.” 

Mandy laughed. “I like you Von; you ain’t tough, you ain’t smart, but you make big calls. I like a guy with balls.” She gave him a once over that made Von feel a bit like a piece of meat. 

Von frowned for a moment, not sure if she had insulted him or complimented him or both. He shook his head as Mandy giggled. “Hiring clown nose to kill Rachel so you can take over? Brillant!” She shrugged. “Well, I mean, it's a terrible fucking plan, but it’s gonna be fun.” 

She put her arm around Von’s shoulders. “Never know Von, you might get lucky. Then you might get lucky.” She grinned at him showing off her gold tooth again. Von frowned not sure how he felt about Mandy flirting with him when they both heard muttering and looked down. 

Lying on the pavement at their feet was a body wrapped up tightly in opaque plastic and duct tape. Mandy giggled. “Oh look, he’s still alive!” 

Mandy gave the bundled up man a kick while Von chuckled looking down at their victim. “You have a rough night buddy?” 

Von looked at Mandy. “You ready?” 

“Yeah let’s get this over with, I’m starved.” Mandy reached down to grab the head while Von grabbed the feet. The man inside the plastic tried to struggle, but Mandy and Von easily tossed the bound body over the bridge and into the water. 

Von waved. “Bye bye.” 

Mandy chuckled then sighed, laying her hands on her hips and arched her back which cracked loudly. “You wanna go get a burrito?” 

Von frowned for a moment then nodded. “Yeah, I could eat.” 

Mandy put her arm around Von’s shoulders with a grin. “I know this great place…” 

* 

Bog woke the next morning to sunlight softly filtering through the curtains of his bedroom. He smiled and slowly opened his eyes, but she was gone. 

He frowned and sat up realizing there was a note on the pillow beside him along with his dragonfly bathrobe. He picked the bathrobe up and held it to his face. It smelled like her. He closed his eyes with a smile. Then he picked up the note. 

The note read: 

Have to go to work, see you tonight. 

Kisses. 

Bog grinned sitting up, still holding the robe to his face. She would be back tonight! She would be back tonight...and he still didn’t know her name… 

* 

Marianne, wearing her dress from the day before was walking back to her motel room when she stopped to watch a man on the street tap dancing. She squealed with delight and pulled out some money to drop it in the hat that man had set upside down beside him to collect money. 

* 

Watching her from across the street, Plum narrowed her eyes. Her partner, Reeves frowned watching the pretty young woman who was now dancing with the street performer. 

“How long have you been tracking her?” 

Plum slipped on her sunglasses. “Ten years.” 

Reeves frowned. “Why don’t we take her out right now?” 

Plum turned to look at the younger woman over the top of her glasses. “You wanna clean up that many bodies, fill out all that paperwork? She’s a killer.” Plum turned back to watch Marianne. “No, we gotta be smart about this...real smart.” 

* 

Marianne stopped dancing and threw her arms around the older man, hugging him. He looked surprised, but hugged the young lady in return. 

Marianne giggled. “I’m in love! I met this man...” She swooned. “He is simply the bees knees!” 

She giggled and spun in place before she waved at the performer and walked off. 

* 

Bog sat at the breakfast counter in his mother’s kitchen, sipping his coffee as his mother made scrambled eggs. 

“So Bog sweetie, did you get her name?” Griselda asked without turning around. 

Bog blushed. “I spent ten hours with her and her name never came up.” Bog blushed looking into his coffee. “MAM! Geez, we didn’t have sex. We just...cuddled all night.” 

Griselda pursed her lips. “What?! How did you think you got here Bog? I know all about having a fling! I’m old not dead.” She made a face at her son before she continued. 

“You never got her name. She never gave it to you? Honey that might be a red flag.” 

Bog chuckled. “Like she’s evil?” He grinned. “Remember when I was little and I insisted I was going to marry Evil Lyn?” 

His mother laughed. “From He-Man?” 

Bog grinned and pointed. “That’s the one!” 

His mother scooped up the eggs, grabbed the toast from the toaster and set the plate in front of her son as Bog said softly. “I think I’m in love.” 

His mother patted his arm. “Just...be careful honey--and find out her name.” 

Bog shoved a large bite of eggs into his mouth as he mumbled. “She’s like Miss Right.” 

His mother shrugged. “As long as she isn’t Miss Crazy…”


	3. The Pulse

With a large purple and yellow bruise plainly visible on his cheek, Daymond sat at a small table outside a little sandwich shop, a large pastrami sandwich and chips in a basket in front of him with a large iced tea and a candle in a red glass vase. Night had just begun to fall; the western sky still had the remains of lingering pink and orange light as he glanced over to the building he was watching. He was tired and pissed. He had tried to kill that bitch at the hotel, then again at the park when she was walking around with that tall, thin, string bean of a man and both times he had failed miserably to cap her ass!! Daymond made a face as he grabbed his tea and sucked through the straw loudly enough that he drew the attention of other diners out here on the shop’s front porch. 

He set his drink down angrily before he pulled his phone out of his jean pocket and with a sneer, quickly dialed a number. He picked up a chip from the basket holding his food in front of him and stuffed the entire thing into his mouth, crunching with a glare as the phone rang. He swallowed hard when the phone picked up and he heard Plum’s rather high timbered voice on the other end. 

Across town at another restaurant, Plum blinked in astonishment as she picked up her phone and saw who was calling her. 

“You’re still alive?” she asked as she picked up her beer and took a sip. 

She was eating dinner on the patio of a nice restaurant, wearing a light blue summer dress and sandals, giving her a soft demeanor, which was at odds with what she actually was, a killer. But right now she looked like an attractive woman having a nice meal alone, not an international killer. She smiled at the pile of fried shrimp on her plate with anticipation (her stomach answering her with an impatient growl of hunger) as she leaned into the phone at her ear. “Good on you, living and all that,” she said with a slight giggle. 

Daymond hissed. “The company said you stopped checking in. What the fuck is going on Plum?” 

Plum sat up and hissed. “I don’t know where the fuck you are Daymond, but don’t you fucking say my name out loud like that again or I will cut your tongue out myself--we clear?” 

Daymond frowned, going pale for a moment. He knew about Plum’s reputation. She wasn’t just good, she was one of the best--though not as good as Marianne clearly. But then again when they had taken the assignment, none of them had known who they were going after until it was too late. All they had at the time was a name, Mari, but it had been Marianne… 

He shook his head and picked at his sandwich, his voice slightly sullen. “You didn’t tell us who we were after, she killed my whole team...she killed every one of them.” 

Plum sighed and leaned back in her chair. “That’s on you sweetie, not me. So what do you want?” 

“I’m taking her out. Me and me only,” Daymond growled, a little of his bravo returning. 

Plum laughed setting down her beer and uncrossing her legs. “Oh you are, are you?” 

“Yeah, you got a better idea?” Daymond hissed before he grabbed his tea and instead of using the straw he simply swallowed a large enough gulp of tea that he had some of the cold drink dribble down his chin and onto his shirt. 

“Shit,” he muttered looking down on himself. 

Plum laughed. “Of course I have a better idea. I always have a better idea, especially better than any idea the likes of you could come up with.” Plum picked up her beer again. “I trained her and right now I think we should wait.” 

Daymond laughed. “Like a couple of pussies?” 

Plum sat up straight, her eyes narrowed, her voice low, deadly. “You say something like that one more time you are going to find out just how badly someone with a pussy can really hurt you.” 

Daymond frowned and for a moment felt his skin crawl. He looked around, as if Plum was there right now, but he saw nothing. He had heard stories about Plum, the things she could do, had done...he glanced down at his privates...one of those stories involved...he shuddered. 

Plum’s voice was cold. “Now, little man, you listen to me. I say we wait and wait is what we are going to do.” With that Plum shut off her phone. No sooner had she shut off her phone and dropped it back into her purse before her “partner” showed up carrying her own bottle of beer and a tray with a plate of food, a loaded baked potato. Reeves smiled and took the seat opposite Plum. “I’ve been meaning to ask you Liddell, the woman we’re following, there is this name that keeps showing up in her files, Aura Plum. Who is that, do you know?” she asked as she set her tray down with her bottle of beer. 

Plum’s face betrayed nothing as she picked up one of her shrimp from her own plate and popped it into her mouth. She chewed for a little bit before she answered. 

“Aura Plum has been missing for the last eight years or so. She’s dangerous, but not really anyone we need to concern ourselves with.” Plum reached for another shrimp looking straight at her partner. “We need to focus on one psychopath at a time, wouldn’t you agree?” Plum smiled and picked up her beer, took a sip while she watched Reeves’ reaction. 

Reeves frowned with a half-shrug. “I guess you’re right, just seemed strange.” 

Aura grinned. “Lot’s of things seem strange when it comes to our target. Now, let’s enjoy our dinner shall we?” 

Aura smiled and picked up her beer, took a long, hard swallow of the cold beverage. 

* 

Marianne was nervous. 

She had called Bog and told him to meet her at this little restaurant she had found. The place, called The Cellar Cat, was lovely with a warm, welcoming atmosphere, brick walls, soft amber lighting, and hardwood floors. A long dark wood bar with a mirror behind held a vast assortment of colored bottles, while the warm light filtering through the colored glass of the bottles gave everything a soft, warm overlay of color. 

Soft jazz was playing as Marianne ran her hands down her dress, straightening out the skirt. For possibly the hundredth time the thought came to her: she didn’t date so she had no idea what to wear or if she looked good or just weird. She had chosen a ‘50’s style lavender halter dress with buttons that ran down the front of the dress with a cute little shirt collar and a white ribbon tied around her waist. She was also wearing a pair of white sandals with just enough heel to them to make her legs look great she thought. She had even put a large white flower in her hair, tucking the blossom behind her ear, though her hair still had that wild, windblown look. 

She tapped her blunt nails against the table top as she waited, trying not to look toward the door nervously as she waited for Bog. She picked up her drink, a colorful concoction called a blue coconut, and took a sip through the straw when she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. 

Marianne turned in her seat to see Bog stride into the restaurant. Her heart skipped a beat and she squeezed her legs together when she saw him. He wasn’t simply handsome; he was devastating she concluded. Her eyes traveled down his body as she sucked her bottom lip between her teeth, making a very soft whine of want. He stood at the front where a young woman, part of the wait staff walked over. Marianne watched as Bog leaned over and asked a question. The young woman nodded and began to lead him over to Marianne’s table. 

Marianne’s eyes traveled down his figure again. She couldn’t help herself! He was wearing a grey three piece suit, but the grey had just enough blue in the fabric color to make his blue eyes pop even in the restaurant’s dim amber light. He had a white shirt on with a blue tie, but she could see the tie, an ocean blue, was patterned with tiny flowers. Her eyes roamed down his long legs to take in the last detail, his shoes. She didn’t know what it was about a man in pointed dress shoes, but he was wearing a pair of light brown ones that made her hot all over a he walked closer. 

Her eyes traveled up his legs until she was looking into his gorgeous blue eyes. 

She purred. “Hey Goblin.” 

Bog laughed as he took his seat opposite her. “Did you just call me Goblin?” 

She giggled. “Yeah, like a nickname. I couldn’t think of anything I liked that sorta rhymes with Bog, but then I thought Goblin, like Jareth the Goblin King!! You would look so hoooott in a pair of leggings.” She grinned and nodded her head several times. 

Bog smiled, a blush creeping across his cheeks. “Okay. You know that nicknames are supposed to happen organically over time.” 

She smiled brightly. “Okay, well then I’ll say Goblin a thousand times real fast.” 

She started to say Goblin quickly. 

Bog laughed. “Okay, just stockholm syndrome me.” 

Marianne giggled. “I love that album!” 

Bog laughed at her just as the young woman who had led Bog over brought him his drink. Marianne gasped. “I love that drink!! It’s so pretty.” 

Bog chuckled looking down at the pastel drink,the colors, pink, blue and red layered on top of each other in the glass. The drink was trimmed around the edges with bright purple sugar. “It's a Boozy Loco Unicorn. I get teased every time I order one, but it's a damn good drink!” 

Marianne immediately had her hand in the air waving like a kid in class who knew the answer and really wanted to share until the waitress came back. 

Marianne pointed at Bog’s drink. “I’ve GOT to have one of those!” 

The waitress laughed. “Coming right up.” 

Marianne turned back to Bog. “Oh I wasn’t finished...Goblin.” 

Bog laughed. “It’s better than my full name, Bogart Marvin Archibald King, a name that is just begging to be called nerd and beat up on the playground.” 

Marianne giggled. “I like nerds. I would totally beat them up for you if they tried messing with you.” 

Bog blushed rolling his drink between his hands. “I always wanted some gorgeous girl to fight beside me and defend my honor.” 

She grinned. “Really?” 

Bog nodded. “What’s cooler than a girlfriend who can beat up your enemies??” 

She giggled then squealed with delight when her drink arrived. “Oh, I love it so much!!” 

She quickly took a sip while Bog watched her with a grin. Her eyes rolled and she groaned. “OMG Bog, this is amazing!! From now on you get to pick all the drinks.” 

He laughed. “No one ever likes my taste in drinks...food...anything really.” 

She smiled at him over the rim of her glass before she murmured. “I think you’re amazing.” 

Bog blushed even brighter. 

She turned to look for the waitress again. “You hungry? I’m starving…” She stopped, her eyes narrowing when she saw Daymond. She recognized him from the hotel, plus the very colorful bruise on his face in the shape of a fire extinguisher. 

* 

Near the front of the restaurant, Daymond walked in, dressed in jeans, t-shirt and a jacket for the too warm weather. He had been staking out Bog’s place all day, waiting for this opportunity. Learning who Bog was had been easy after the failed sniping attempt at the park. Daymond had simply followed the man home, then he waited. 

He had followed him here to the restaurant and now he was ready to get this over with. He wanted that bitch dead and the price on her head transferred into his account so he could get the hell out of this fucking weird city. 

He watched them until she had turned around to call for the waitress. Their eyes met and Daymond gave her a sneer while pulling his jacket back enough to show the gun he was hiding at his waist. 

* 

Marianne stood up. “Ah, give me a moment. I need to go take care of some business.” 

Bog frowned watching her as she picked up her unicorn drink and took a large swallow from it. He watched her walk past the bar and noticed a man immediately got up and followed her, the two of them leaving the restaurant through the side door. 

Bog frowned, his heart immediately felt tight and cold in his chest, but he didn’t follow her. He didn’t want to be that kind of guy, the one who didn’t trust her, who felt the need to know her every move. Though he was worried, worried that she had just walked out on him, or that man was an ex-boyfriend...maybe she needed his help? He started to get up, then immediately sat back down. No...no, he would give her a few minutes and if she didn't come back he would check on her. And if she was gone...well...it wasn’t the first time a girl had walked out on a date with him when a better, more handsome offer came along. 

* 

Marianne turned on Daymond as soon as they had walked outside, turning the corner into an empty alley, between a fence and the brick side of the restaurant, where some trash from the restaurant lay around the dumpster. The only light was a pale yellow glow from a lamp attached to the building. She was trying to be nice, calm, but she was furious. 

“Look, I’m not a date right now. I really, really like this guy! Can’t we do this tomorrow? Besides, I just bought this dress, I don’t want to get it dirty! We could get a room at the beach and I can kill you there.” She grinned. “We could get a fruit plate, hold hands, then I’ll break your neck. It’ll be nice.” 

Daymond narrowed his eyes at her. “Fuck you bitch.” 

Marianne rolled her eyes. “What is it with you guys and using the term ‘bitch?’ You hear me calling you names like dick? Turd? Douchenozzle? You look like an itchy butthole. I mean, is that how we are supposed to communicate?” 

Daymond hissed. “Bitch!” 

He pulled his weapon. Marianne reacted swiftly; her hand shot out and she grabbed Daymond’s wrist, twisting his gun out of the way, forced caused him to shoot into the pavement. At the same time she kicked him in the stomach. The attack shoved Daymond’s body back, but Marianne still had a hold of his wrist. She twisted her body around, made the skirt of her dress flair out as she pulled his arm around her stomach and at the same time snapped his wrist. 

Daymond yelped in pain. 

Marianne yanked the gun out of his hand, at the same time she spun him around in a full circle, which brought him back around to face her. Marianne used her hand that held his liberated pistol to hit Daymond hard enough in the face that when she released his broken wrist, the man fell to the pavement. 

She ejected the magazine and chambered cartridge from the gun. She swiftly tossed the gun in one direction, the magazine in another. “Are we done? I’d like to get back to my date.” 

Daymond pushed himself to his feet, wiping away a spot of blood. “You gonna walk away pussy? I’ll kill you bitch and that little shit boyfriend of yours too!” 

Marianne turned slowly. She looked deceptively harmless in her pretty dress and sandals, just a pretty young woman on a date, but her brown eyes had gone flat. “What did you say?” 

Daymond sneered. “You heard me bitch.” 

Marianne rolled her eyes. “Bitch again, really? And why did you have to go and threaten him?? Was that really nice? No, it wasn’t.” 

She began to walk back over to Daymond. 

* 

Inside Bog finished his drink. He sighed wondering how long he should stay before realizing he had been dumped...and things seemed to be going so well, especially after cuddling last night. He shook his head. No, he was positive she wasn’t like that. She would not wrap herself around him like she did last night, her head nestled against his chest and then meet him for dinner the next day only to walk out. No. He trusted her. 

Bog raised his hand at the waitress who hurried over. “Yes sir?” 

“Ah, could I get an order of breadsticks?” he asked with a smile. 

“Of course. Are you and your date ready to order?” she asked. 

“Oh, not quite yet.” Bog answered. The waitress nodded. “Be right back with those breadsticks--and would you like a refill on your drink?” 

“Sure, thank you.” Bog smiled, but his attention had drifted toward the door again as he waited for her. 

* 

Marianne sighed. “Give me a minute here.” 

She stretched her arms over her head as Daymond pulled his knife from where it was hidden against his lower back. He held it in the wrist Marianne thought she had broken. She sighed. Note to herself, she thought, make sure to break the wrist and stop being so nice. 

“Oh you take your time princess, whenever you’re ready.” Daymond smirked. 

Marianne grabbed her ankle and stretched her leg, then shook out her arms and hips before she did a little twirl. 

Daymond came at her, but Marianne, who didn’t seem to be paying attention, brought her left forearm up blocking his lunge at her, the knife’s point a mere inch from her face. She shoved him back from her easily. Daymond tried to thrust the knife at her again, but she easily knocked his arm away and up. When Daymond tried to punch her across the face with his other hand, she slapped the fist away and followed it by slapping Daymond across the face before she punched him in the chest with both hands and forced the man to take several steps backwards. 

Daymond snarled and lunged at her again. Marianne spun and used her elbow to hit Daymond in the soft part of his elbow, forced the knife down. She followed this by another slap across his face with one hand, followed swiftly by another slap across his face with her other hand before she did a well executed spin on the ball of one foot and slammed her elbow into the hollow of Daymond’s throat. 

Daymond coughed and choked as he grabbed at his throat. He stumbled away from her, coughing and choking, struggling to catch his breath. Marianne took a few steps away from him, hopping on her feet a little, ready for him to make another attempt on her. 

He looked up at her, hatred in his gaze just before he lunged at her again, still coughing. 

Marianne sighed and dropped to her hands, spun her legs up in the air. Her skirt flipped up, showing off the pair of dark purple lace panties she had worn special for tonight, as her foot connected with his face, followed by her other foot as she completed the spin and hopped back up on her feet. 

“I was saving that look up my skirt for Bog and you ruined it,” she hissed and pouted at the same time. 

Daymond’s head was spinning from the double kick, but he tried again. Marianne dropped to her hands, spun her hip to the side at the same time bringing her right foot up, this time hitting Daymond hard enough in the side of his head that he dropped the knife, dazed. 

The bastard, Marianne thought as he came at her again. Even without his knife he was still stupid enough to think he could take her. Marianne twisted around as elegantly as a trained dancer, dropping to her hands again and used her heeled shoes to once more kick the man in the face. Her flower fell from her hair. 

She hopped up to her feet and brushed her dress down. “I’m getting really tired of showing you my panties.” 

Daymond moved his jaw around, blood having flooded his mouth. He snarled and yanked two more knives out from somewhere on his person. 

He grinned with bloody teeth. “I ain’t done with you yet bitch!” 

Marianne sighed. “Geez, you have those like...planted all over yourself? Doesn’t that make it hard to sit down? Don’t you worry about, I don’t know, getting a knife up the butt?” 

Daymond took a stab at her, she grabbed his wrist and as he struggled to stab her with the other blade she stepped easily to the side and grabbed that wrist. She held his arms up by the wrists, her fingers pressed hard into his wrists as she forced the knives to face downward. The position looked strange since Marianne was shorter than the man attacking her, but she easily held his arms up and walked him in a circle. 

Daymond gasped in pain and Marianne giggled sweetly. “Hurts don’t it?” 

She laughed and as the man struggled against her, she purposely twisted her attacker’s arms around, playing with him as he realized that this petite looking woman was stronger than him, more dexterous and far more deadly. 

She finally twisted around until she had Daymond’s arms behind his back, arms crossed and pressed against his lower back. 

She whispered sweetly. “Getting tired?” 

She shoved him away from her at the same time forcing one of his hands open. He dropped the knife of that hand and Marianne easily caught the blade as the man stumbled backwards and slammed into the fence. She threw one of the knives, the blade cut the air so close to Daymond’s face that he felt the passage of the air before the blade thunked into the wooden fence. 

Daymond’s eyes widened, but he still charged her, his arm outstretched, his remaining knife in his hand. Marianne rolled her eyes and easily caught him by wrist again, twisting his arm up and over, forcing Daymond to shove the knife into his own neck before she shoved him into the fence. 

He gasped in pain, sliding down to the pavement. 

Marianne sighed. “Oh now look! I got blood on my dress!!!” 

She started to march over to Daymond, thinking to kick the man in the face, but stopped herself. She closed her eyes taking a few steady breaths, her hands out at her sides making calming gestures as Daymond watched her. She picked up her flower from the pavement, miraculously not crushed, dusted it off and placed it back behind her ear. 

She looked down at Daymond. “I really, really like this guy. I want it to go well,” she calmly told him. 

She pursed her lips looking down at him. “Don’t pull the blade out and get to a hospital and you’ll live. Pull it out and you’re dead.” She smiled at him then waved before she headed back inside. “Wish me luck!” 

Daymond watched her go with a look of confusion. 

* 

She hurried back inside to see Bog munching on a breadstick looking a little down, but when he saw her his face lit up. “You’re back!” 

She grinned. “‘Course I am. Sorry, just had to kill this guy out back. Well maybe not kill him, if he gets to a hospital he’ll live.” 

She giggled and Bog laughed. Marianne suddenly stood up. “Can I come sit over there with you?” 

Bog looked startled, but then grinned even wider. “Yes, please.” 

She hurried over and pulled out the chair next to him. She laid her hand on his thigh sending little ripples of pleasure up his body from her touch. She smiled at him and 

Bog felt flustered. She was so beautiful, her brown eyes were like warm chocolate and her lips were just so perfectly kissable he thought. 

She squeezed his knee and Bog nearly jumped out of his chair. “I’m starved,” she said with a smile. 

Bog blushed as she continued to absently stroke his thigh. “Oh, well after killing that guy.” 

She nodded. “Oh I know!! And I had to do all these kicks and in this dress! He got to see my panties which really annoyed me. I was saving those for you to see.” 

She gave him a sweet yet very seductive smile and a wink. 

Bog was fairly sure his ears were going to catch on fire, especially after she squeezed his thigh again. 

* 

Across town, Von and Mandy sat across from Rachel, Von’s older sister and the head of the crime family. Rachel was an attractive women with long dark hair streaked stylishly with white at her temples which also made her look like a classical villianess. 

She was wearing a snug, red evening dress, her hair styled up in a loose bun, diamond earrings dripping from her ears as she leaned on her desk on which sat a bottle of expensive wine, a half filled wine glass along with a few knick-knacks. The desk separated her from her brother and his partner Mandy Moon. Behind Rachel stood her bodyguard, Bruce, a slender man with dark brown skin and a hard gaze who very seldom spoke. 

Rachel was making paper fortune tellers. She already had made at least eight, now littered her large desk as she muttered. “Who would kill Paco and dump his body under a bridge?” 

Von shrugged at his sister. “I’m telling you Rach, someone is gunning for us. I think it's this local big dick...I’m thinking Paco let it slip about that money you were moving up north…” Von glanced at Mandy who winked at him. “And one of those big assholes...like Marshall, is trying to move in on us.” 

Rachel looked up, dropping the lastest fortune teller she had made onto the desk and sat back with a curse. “Shit, we need tell Mom.” 

Von sat up. “No we don’t, we don’t need to call Mom!!” 

Rachel snarled. “Von! They are still cleaning blood off the walls back home! This was your FUCKING MESS!!” 

Bruce, her bodyguard stepped closer to Rachel, putting a hand on her shoulder. He slowly breathed out. Rachel relaxed and let out a breath, closing her eyes for a moment before she looked at her little brother again. 

“I’m sorry.” 

Von nodded, but Mandy raised her hand. Rachel narrowed her eyes slightly at Mandy before she gestured at the other woman to speak. 

Mandy smiled and sat forward. “I have an idea. There is word on this gal, a big time hitman...well hitwoman...anyway, why don’t we hire her to take care of the job for us?” 

Von nodded and pointed at Mandy. “I like this idea!” 

Mandy grinned nodding in return. “It makes a statement.” 

Rachel frowned. “I don’t know…I don’t like hiring someone I don’t know to fix our problems…” 

Von was irritated as he stood up. “Oh yeah great! Let’s just stay locked up like a bunch of fucking...and just wait for the FBI to come…” 

Rachel grabbed the bottle of wine and smashed in on the edge of her desk, holding up the broken half in her hand, motioning at her brother with it. 

Von sighed. “Gee Rachel, right there, threatening me? That therapy is really working out for you.” 

Rachel rolled her eyes heavenward and sighed and counted quickly. “...8, 9, 10...I’m sorry.” She tossed the rest of the smashed wine bottle to the floor. 

Von stepped closer to his sister. “This person Mandy is talking about, she’s an international contractor and she is a badass motherfucker...like ah...Bruce Lee, James Bond...ah...Michelle Yeoh, Scarlett Johansson...like that! We get her to go after that other family, take them all out before this problem gets bigger.” 

Rachel stared hard at her brother before she sighed and sat down. “Fine Von, fine...bring her here and I’ll meet with her.” 

Von grinned. “Fantastic.” 

* 

Bog had his tie off, his dress shirt unbuttoned to his collar and his vest unbuttoned standing in his socks, as he stirred the milk in the two large glasses of chocolate milk he had just made. They had had a fantastic dinner, great conversation and when he had invited her over to his place for dessert, she had said yes. Dessert was a plate of his mother’s homemade chocolate chip cookies (which he had spirited out of her kitchen) and two glasses of chocolate milk. He lightly tapped the spoon against the rim of the last glass before he turned and handed it to his date as she leaned against the table behind him. She had removed her sandals, wearing a pair of his socks and looked adorable he thought. 

He picked up his own glass and just blurted out the question he had been holding on to all night. 

“What’s your name?” 

She blinked in surprise, wiping the milk mustache from her upper lip with the back of her hand. “Ah...I...I really don’t like my name.” She looked down nervously. “It’s just...it’s…” 

Bog put a hand up. “It’s okay, it’s alright. You don’t have to tell me.” He smiled gently. “You can tell me when you’re ready.” 

She smiled sweetly at him. “Thank you.” 

Bog stared at her, getting lost in her eyes for a moment, so warm, and tender. He swallowed and took a large swallow of his drink, dropping his gaze. He looked back up and asked. 

“How did you do that trick in the store? I mean, catching all those condom boxes like that?” He smiled and she giggled reaching up to wipe the chocolate milk mustache from his upper lip. 

“Well, you wanna see a trick?” she asked, her eyes glinting with amusement. 

Bog nodded. “Sure!” 

* 

A few minutes later they were in Bog’s living room. On his coffee table were lined up all of Bog’s butcher knives, six. Bog stood and watched her as she laid them out carefully. 

“Is...ah...this is a little scary,” he said with a smile. 

Marianne laughed with a look at him. “It's not scary, I promise.” 

Bog nodded as Marianne moved to stand right in front of him. She lifted his hands and very slowly, the sides of her palms gently pressed against the back of his hands, she began to move his hands along with hers in a sort of dance, their hands gracefully flowed together creating a slow pattern between them as she spoke, the sides of her hands gently guiding Bog’s hands in the pattern. 

“Ever since I was little, I had this idea. Everything physical we see is just an island, in between all those islands is the current.” Marianne moved to stand behind Bog. She gently laid her hands over his, barely touching them, her fingertips just under his knuckles. She continued to speak, her forehead rested between his shoulder blades as she guided his hands in the slow dance. She could feel the play of his muscles in his back as she continued to move his hands. 

She raised her hands over his, yet their hands continued to move in the same pattern even though she was no longer touching him. 

“Can you feel it, the way your hands move with mine?” she asked softly. 

Bog whispered watching as he duplicated the pattern of her hands. “Yes.” 

She smiled and reached down to pick up one of the knives. She moved her hand and Bog watched, mesmerized as she flipped the knife between her hands in front of him, easily catching it as she continued to talk. 

“Once you feel the current, you can feel other objects in the current. You can feel the current move the objects…” She walked back in front of Bog, slowly moving the knife. 

“Just watch the knife,” she said softly. She followed Bog’s eyes, which tracked the knife. “It’s much easier to move with the current than against it.” 

That was the moment Marianne tossed the knife into the air. Bog followed it, but at the last second, as the knife fell between them, she caught it startling him. 

Bog yelped and jumped back. “Shit! Why’d you do that?! Why’d you throw a KNIFE!” 

Marianne frowned looking at the blade. “I thought you were going to catch it!” 

He took several steps away from her confused. “What…? WHAT? Why...why would I…I can’t catch a knife!!” 

She looked confused. “Yes you can. Remember when we were dancing...you have that energy Bog...you feel the flow...you know...I mean just now, didn’t you feel it? You felt it. I know you did.” She grinned. “You don’t know how or why, but you feel it Bog.” 

Bog rubbed his hands over his face. He should have known this was going too well. “I...I don’t know what you are talking about…flow...knives...I just…” 

She frowned. “Yes you do.” 

“No I don’t! This is crazy!! Maybe you should leave...I...” Bog shook his head, but Marianne grinned. “Bog…” 

He looked up and she threw the knife at him. Bog snatched the blade out of the air without a second thought. 

Marianne giggled. “See--there you go.” 

Bog blinked at the blade he had just caught and chuckled. “Ah...hah, oh...wow.” 

Marianne giggled picking up another knife and threw at him. Bog’s hand shot out, catching the blade with his left hand just as quickly and easily. 

He started to laugh. “My mother would hate this.” 

She giggled. “Toss them back!” 

Bog threw one, which Marianne snatched out of the air easily, then he tossed the second. This time she did a little flourish, twisting around in her cute little dress, catching the knife by the blade with just two fingers. 

Bog laughed, his eyes wide in delight. “That is so amazing!” 

Marianne grinned picking up three more knives and wiggled her eyebrows at him. She tossed them all swiftly at Bog who caught them easily, even catching the last one by the blade just before it would have slid right into his throat. 

Marianne and Bog stared at one another, then Bog dropped all the knives to the floor. 

Marianne rushed into his arms wrapped her arms around his neck. 

Bog wrapped his arms around her waist looking down at her with a grin. “So, it’s like a pulse?” 

She nodded. “I guess so. I’ve never tried to explain it to anyone before.” 

He tilted his head gazing at her. “Why me?” 

She frowned. “I don’t know...there’s something about you Bog…” 

“You knew I would catch the knife? How?” he asked softly. 

“I didn’t know...I knew you could, I hoped you would,” she said gently. “Are you mad?” 

“No, no I’m not mad. I think I might be crazy,” Bog whispered back. 

“I’m crazy,” she replied with a smile. 

Bog blushed then looked up as Marianne whispered. “I want you.” 

Bog looked down for a moment then up again. “I want you too.” 

She looked up at him earnestly. “I mean, like right this second.” 

Bog blinked then giggled. “Oh, okay.” 

She kissed passionately, standing up on her tiptoes. Bog returned the kiss, his hands sliding up her back, his fingertips caressing the soft skin of her back, just above where her dress pressed into her skin. She moaned softly, attacking his mouth more thoroughly until she grabbed his bottom lip in her teeth and tugged. 

Bog hissed with pleasure, pressing his hands more firmly into her skin. 

She released his lip and whispered. “Carry me to bed Bog.” 

He smiled and nodded. “Okay.” 

He lifted her up into his arms bridal style and began to walk to his bedroom. He carried her cradled against him, holding her tenderly. She pulled his mouth once more to hers, counting on him knowing his way to his bedroom without needing to see where he was going. 

Bog walked until he bumped lightly against the mattress of his bed, and laid her down. She giggled softly hurried to get up on her knees and grabbed his shirt. She began immediately to unbutton the rest of the buttons on his shirt, her fingers moved deftly down pushing the buttons through the holes. She tugged the shirt out of his slacks and finished with the buttons as quickly as she could. Bog stood still and let her undress him watching her with a mix of desire and awe. She was just so beautiful, interesting, mysterious, it was hard for him to process that she wanted him, of all people. 

She smiled and ran her hands up his stomach to his chest easing up to her feet. Bog’s muscles tensed at her touch and goosebumps raced over his skin. Her fingers were slightly calloused from who knew what, but he loved her touch and his body ached for more. 

When she was once more level with his face, she smiled, brushed her nose against his at the same moment she pushed his shirt and vest down over his shoulders. At the same time, Bog reached up and stroked the tips of his fingers along her shoulders to the back of her dress where the halter caught around her neck. He carefully pulled at the tie that held the top of the dress in place. Once loose, the cloth fell away to expose her breasts. 

He swallowed as his fingers traced her collarbone and he looked down at her small, but perfect breasts. His breath quickened as his fingers traced down over the top of her breasts. 

She moaned at his touch, arched her back just a little while her hands wandered over his chest. At the moment that Bog’s fingers brushed over her nipples, Marianne reached down and grabbed the top of his slacks and began to undo the belt, then the button, the zipper... 

Bog fingers stilled. “Are...are you sure?” 

Marianne grinned up at him. “Oh, I’m very sure.” 

She kissed him again, her tongue slid into his mouth at the same time she peeled his slacks back, her fingers slid around the band of his underwear, tracing along his stomach, then around his hips to his back. 

She pulled back just enough to whisper. “Get naked with me Bog.” 

He blushed and Marianne took a couple of bouncing steps back on the bed to shimmy out of her dress until she was standing on the bed in just her lace panties and the socks he had given her. She giggled and jumped up and down. “Hurry up!!” 

Bog stared at her and laughed as he shoved his pants down and stepped out of them. He was embarrassed at his nudity, but then she wiggled out of her panties, which she threw at him, before she rushed over and grabbed his hands, (still wearing the socks, which he found sexy for some reason) and tugged him onto the bed with her. They both laughed as naked, they bounced up and down on the bed or a few moments until Marianne threw herself into his arms, covered his mouth with hers and pressed her body up against him. 

Bog moaned softly. They continued to bounce slightly on the bed as he passionately returned her kiss. Her warm, silken body pressed against his made the ache he felt for her grow. 

Marianne pulled away and flopped back on the pillows. She pulled him with her and into her arms smiling brightly. “I love you.” 

Bog brushed back her hair, his body molded along hers and whispered tenderly. “I love you--is that crazy...after two days?” 

She smiled. “Nope, not at all, especially for two crazy people.” 

Bog laughed. 

Marianne grinned and traced his bottom lip with her fingertip, her eyes roamed over his face. “I never thought I would meet someone like you.” 

Bog brushed his nose against hers. “I never thought I would meet anyone like you.” 

She giggled. “I guess we’re lucky.” 

Bog nodded. “Yep.” 

She smiled. “Make love with me.” 

Bog blushed and pressed a light, tender kiss to her lips. 

“Yes…” he whispered.


	4. Lending a Hand

Bog woke with a smile. He had never woken up feeling so relaxed, so loose. Sex with Marianne last night had been the single most exciting experience of his entire life. And the best part was that he was pretty sure she had been holding back a bit last night--which meant there was more to come! 

He laid on his back and felt a stupid grin spread over his face, thinking about how she had sucked on him. He shivered. Then she had ridden him into the mattress. He reached up and brushed his fingertips over his chest where he still had marks from her nails and he was pretty sure there were bite marks on his neck, chest, stomach and groin. He grinned and lifted the sheet to look down. Sure enough there were bite marks on his hips, thighs and even a hickey on the side of his penis. 

Bog grinned and blushed brightly. He already had a bit of an erection; thinking about last night his body came on high alert. 

He rolled his head over to the side to gaze lovingly at Marianne. She shifted slightly and rolled onto her stomach, her sheet falling away to slide down to her hips. Bog rolled over onto his side reaching out to stroke her back with his fingertips when he noticed a long scar down her back. The scar started at the top of her shoulder and ran down to the middle of her back. Whatever it was from, it had been a nasty injury. He frowned lightly tracing the scar with the tips of his fingers. What could have happened to her he wondered...this scar spoke of something terrible, something painful. 

He traced the mark again in thought when Marianne shivered a little and made a soft murmuring noise in her sleep. 

He leaned down and kissed her scar before he sat up thinking about going to take a shower. He started to stand up when Marianne said softly, “Where is my morning kiss?” 

Bog laughed and crawled back into bed. He scooted closer and put his arm around her. “Roll over and I’ll give you one, but I warn you--I’ve not brushed my teeth yet.” 

Marianne rolled over to face him with a bright smile. “Well lucky you, I haven’t brushed mine either!” 

She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer to press her body up against him. Bog smiled and reached up to cup her face with his hand guiding her closer for a tender kiss. She opened her mouth wide, her tongue sliding into his mouth. Bog made a small groan, deepened the kiss further, his erection coming to life even more as he pressed against her nude body. 

Marianne pulled away. “You ever have sex in the shower?” 

Bog blinked at the sudden question then shook his head. “Ah, nope.” 

She giggled. “Why don’t you go start the water. I’ll be right there.” 

Bog smiled. “Whatever you say.” 

* 

Bog closed his eyes and let the warm water fall over him. The shower felt good. He grabbed the shampoo and rubbed it through his hair waiting for Marianne. 

He had just rinsed his hair when he saw her come walking into the bathroom, naked, carrying a banana. His mind drifted to the gutter. 

“Hey you!” she said with a smile. “You come here often?” 

Bog laughed. “What’s with the banana?” 

She pulled the curtain aside, stepped in, and immediately kissed his chin. “Hungry. You sir, worked up my appetite.” She giggled peeling the banana and offered Bog a bite. 

He took a bite then Marianne took the next bite. “I have some business to take care off. Should only take me about five minutes, then we could go grab something big to eat!” 

Bog chuckled as she fed him another bite of the fruit. “Sounds fun.” 

She giggled finishing off the banana and tossed the peel over the top of the shower. Bog didn’t realize she had tossed the peel and hit the trash can without ever looking. 

Marianne grinned at him. Her eyes wandered up and down Bog’s wet naked body while she licked her lips. “Hmm...you said you’d never had sex in the shower before, right?” 

Bog smiled blushing. “Ah...no, never.” 

Marianne stepped closer sliding her damp hand along his erection. 

Bog’s eyes rolled back and he made an incomprehensible sound. 

Marianne giggled. “Mm….” 

She reached up with her other hand to tug him down for a kiss when Bog surprised her by picking her up and pressing her against the wall of the shower beside the shower head. He put his arms under her legs, lifted her a bit as he balanced her before he slid himself inside her. 

Marianne gasped and tightened her hold on his shoulders. “Oh Bog!” 

He chuckled and covered her mouth with a kiss. 

* 

Marianne was smiling ear to ear. She was dressed in a suit from a bag in the back of her car, a 1962 Chevrolet Corvette, painted a dark purple. (Bog nearly died when she had walked down the street and pulled out in the car last night, but seeing it in the daylight, after the night and morning of incredible sex he had with her made the car just that much more amazing). The suit, which had Bog pretty much salivating (she looked so hot he wanted to take her back to his place again and get it off her) was a three piece suit with a short, dark grey jacket, a lighter grey vest, white blouse, black skinny slacks and a black and grey striped tie. She even had a watch on a chain that hung from her pocket. 

Bog felt a little silly next to her. He had slipped on a pair of old, favorite jeans that fit him like a glove with large holes in the knees, a white t-shirt and a pair of brown pointed ankle boots. When he had seen her outfit Bog had offered to change, but Marianne was looking at him like a hungry predator and had hissed at him. 

“Don't you dare.” 

They had driven across town, Marianne driving one handed, her other hand on Bog’s thigh until she pulled up across from one of the city’s many walking path bridges that crossed a shallow canal. 

Bog smiled turning to face her. “I feel like I’ve been walking in a coma since I met you.I can’t seem to remember what my life was like before three days ago.” 

Marianne gazed lovingly at him. Her smile was tender and sweet. “Me either Bog.” 

Bog glanced down at her hand on his thigh before he spoke. “Last night…” 

Marianne giggled. “It’s okay, I smelled it too...too much of that hot sauce last night.” 

Bog stared at her and they both started to laugh. 

Marianne grinned. “Sorry, continue.” 

Bog shook his head then started again. “I saw the scar on your back.” 

Marianne frowned. “Oh...yes, ah. It’s a long story, but…” She looked out the window as she said, “I was in Serbia.” 

Bog’s eyes widened slightly, but he didn’t interrupt her as she continued. “I was chasing this guy...that place is a war zone...I mean that whole place...and well...I found him and he was already dead. This was when I use to work for the corporation, CIA…” 

Bog’s lips quirked to the side. He wasn’t sure if she was making up a story or not, but he said nothing as she continued, her voice soft, as if slightly lost in thought. 

“Anyway, there was an explosion. The roof fell on me, missed piercing my heart by a couple of inches. The doctors said I had...or have, brain damage...blah, blah...doctors.” She laughed and rolled her eyes. “But ah...that’s when a good friend turned on me and I found myself here.” She rubbed his thigh as she spoke. “I don’t know, it was all pretty shitty, but really, I think the brain damage helped. It put my world into perspective.” She smiled and squeezed his leg. 

Bog smiled. “Wow.” 

She shrugged and glanced toward to the bridge. “Oh, there’s the guy I’m suppose to meet. I’ll finish the story when I get back.” 

She wrapped an arm around him and kissed Bog passionately. He melted into her kiss. She moved her mouth over his causing a fire to burn in his groin and heart before she pulled away. “ I’ll be right back.” She smiled and added, “You look hot by the way.” 

Bog chuckled and blushed watching her get out of the car and walk over to where a man dressed all in black was standing on the bridge looking out at the water. 

* 

Marianne walked out onto the bridge. She didn’t see Mandy Moon parked on the far side of the bridge with Von watching the exchange through a pair of binoculars. 

Marianne strolled up the man; tall, bald, dressed in black. She grinned. “Hey!” 

The man turned, glancing around and nodded his head. “Hey, you the girl?” 

Marianne leaned her back against the railing and smiled pleasantly. “Well I am a girl...no, I’m a woman, female. You male...I assume?” 

The man glared at her and continued. He handed her a bag. “Everything you need is in there.” 

* 

Mandy frowned watching the exchange and muttered to herself. “Who the fuck is that guy? I thought our guy Ritchie was suppose be doing this…” 

* 

Back on the bridge Marianne looked into the bag then back at the man who had given it to her. “Who hired you?” 

The man frowned. “That’s none of your business.” 

Marianne frowned looking annoyed, then sniffed. “It’s kind of my business. You know I like to know who I’m actually working for.” 

* 

Mandy was still looking through the binoculars when Von sat forward. “Whaddya mean it's not Richie? Who the fuck is it?” 

Mandy shrugged and handed Von the binoculars. Von narrowed his eyes looking through them. “Who the fuck is that?!” 

* 

Bog could see Marianne still talking to the strange man. 

He frowned, but leaned forward to turn on the radio since she had left the keys in the car. The sounds of AC/DC’s “Shot Down in Flames” emanated from the crisp sound system. 

Bog started to move his head to the song as he glanced once more over at his no name girlfriend who he was in love with. 

* 

Marianne pulled out a picture from the bag she had been handed and gasped with a slight giggle. “Jose Gracia??” 

The man grabbed the picture back and Marianne grinned. “OOoh, you are ambitious.” She sighed. “Come on, tell me who hired you to hire me to kill Jose Gracia?” 

The man snarled. “Fuck you, you psycho bitch.” 

“Psycho bitch? Really?” Marianne sighed and rolled her eyes. 

The man hissed. “You know, get out of here before shit gets ugly. You’re lucky I don’t pop your ass right here. Get the fuck away from me you cunt.” 

Marianne giggled. “Well, at least cunt is new. You like clowns?” 

The man watched in frustrated confusion as she pulled out a red clown nose and placed it on the end of her own nose. 

* 

Bog was moving his head a little more aggressively to the music, watching Marianne when she stepped away from the man she had been talking to, a red clown nose now on the tip of her nose...and she pulled a gun equipped with a suppressor and shot the man she had been speaking with. 

Bog’s eyes widened while he watched Marianne remove the nose and start to walk back over to him. 

Bog looked around frantically, his eyes wide and his heart rate spiking, but no one seemed to notice that his girlfriend had just shot someone, had just committed a murder in broad daylight! 

* 

Mandy and Von were practically in each other’s laps, both trying to stick their heads out the car window while at the same time trying to share the binoculars. 

Mandy hissed after seeing Marianne killed the man. “Holy shit.” 

* 

Marianne hopped into the car with a grin. “Wow, sorry about that, took a lot longer than I thought.” 

Bog was staring out the windshield, not looking over at her. 

Marianne frowned. “Bog, you okay? Are you upset? Because I killed that guy?” She stared at him for a moment, then whispered. “How I feel about that guy has nothing to do with how I feel about you Bog.” 

Bog said softly glancing sideways at her. “Can I go home please?” 

Marianne stared at him, her face crumpled, tears pricked the corner of her eyes as she turned to the wheel. “Yeah...yes of course.” 

* 

Plum or Liddell as she was known, was sitting in an old Buick with her “partner” as the young woman looked over the photo files that she had just given her. 

Reeves shook her head gazing at the photos which showed murder sites. She gazed at the photos as she murmured. “There’s blood splatter all over the place. It's like she was spinning or something.” 

Plum shook her head. “She was dancing. Marianne likes to dance.” 

Reeves looked back at the photos and murmured. “What kind of psycho dances while she is killing someone?” 

Plum smiled. “Who indeed.” 

* 

Marianne parked the car along the sidewalk in front of Bog’s mother’s home. He got out of the car silently, but Marianne hopped out too. 

“Bog please, wait a second. Are we fighting? Is this a fight? I don’t understand...why are we fighting?” She looked utterly destroyed as she wiped viciously at the tears at the corner of her eyes. 

Bog was too numb to cry as he turned to face her. 

Marianne chewed her bottom lip. “I’m not a bad person Bog. Bad people don’t have the capacity to love and...I love you.” 

Bog stared at her for a long moment before he turned and began to walk up the path to his mother's house. 

Marianne’s voice broke. “Bog, please, just talk to me.” 

Tears began to roll down her cheeks. She did nothing to stop them, her voice was small and sad. 

“Please Bog...please…” 

* 

Von was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, his favorite leather jacket over his shoulders. He watched his sister pace in front of him. 

Rachel, dressed in a tight fitting burgundy dress and heels muttered as she paced. “Why would anyone kill our hire?” 

Mandy, dressed in a black tank top and black jeans, her blue hair stuck up in an 80’s style spiked mohawk, was covering crackers with cheese that she had set out on the coffee table in front of her and shrugged. “Maybe she, I don’t know...you were suppose to...” 

Rachel glared at Mandy. “You, shut up.” 

Mandy shrugged stuffing crackers and cheese into her mouth. 

Von spoke up. “Maybe it was because you weren’t meeting with her yourself.” 

Rachel hissed. “Then me, your own sister, would be dead. Is that what you want Von, for your sister, your big sister to be dead?” 

Von shrugged. “No, of course not.” 

Mandy grinned and pulled out a piece of paper. She held it up with a wide grin. “I got an address.” 

Mandy set the paper down. “That’s where she dropped off her boyfriend.” 

Rachel slowly smiled. “Von, take ten men, go pick him up and when she shows up, blow her fucking face off.” 

Von looked surprised at his sister. “Ten guys?” 

She smiled and walked back over to her desk and sat on the edge. “Yeah, ten guys--with you and your girlfriend that makes twelve right?” 

Von started to say something, though he really wasn’t sure what when his sister motioned them out. “Go on, get going.” 

Von stood up numbly. “Uh...okay…” 

* 

The next day, Bog was sitting on his mother’s couch, his legs pulled up. His boots were on the floor, but he still wore his socks. He still wore the jeans from yesterday, but he had at least changed his shirt for a button down, though he hadn’t eaten, slept, or showered at all last night. He had laid on his bed staring at the ceiling trying not to remember his night and morning with her...but he couldn’t. It all replayed in his mind. 

Right now he had his arms wrapped around his legs as he stared off into nothing. There was a mug of hot tea on the coffee table in front of him that his mother had made him when he had come to her kitchen door this morning looking as if his whole world had just fallen apart. 

She hadn’t asked any questions, but she figured it had to do with his new girlfriend. 

Griselda was in the middle of buttering some toast when there was a knock at her front door. She glanced at her son who hadn’t moved at all since he arrived. She frowned and answered the door. 

“Yes, FBI ma’am, we are here looking for a Mr. Bogart King.” 

Griselda frowned and glanced over at her son. “Bog, the FBI is here to talk to you.” 

* 

Soon Bog and his mother were sitting at his mother’s kitchen table with the two FBI agents. The agent who had introduced herself as Liddell had the crime photos that her partner had been looking at just a day ago spread across Griselda's kitchen table, showing the blood and dead--all Marianne’s victim. 

“Her real name is Francine Marianne Summerfield-Munch. She likes to go by Marianne Summerfield. She is one of the world's most notorious hired killers.” Plum picked up her tea cup and took a sip of the tea as she looked at Bog across the table. “She’s been part of the business since she was a teenager, been part of various programs. Putting herself out there for hire, just...a meat grinder of a woman. Her life is nothing but death.” Plum steadied the boyfriend’s face. 

He simply sat there and stared down at the pictures. 

Plum continued. “Two years ago she quit after a nervous breakdown.” 

Griselda who was leaning against her kitchen cabinet asked softly. “She quit? Why?” 

Plum sighed. “She always had a problem with emotions, regret, guilt...we’re guessing these emotions caught up with her.” 

When Bog finally spoke, his voice was soft. “If she isn’t killing people for money anymore, then why’d she killed that guy on the bridge?” 

Plum sipped her tea and shrugged. “She’s developed some sort of twisted moral code. People still try to hire her to kill...but instead she kills those that hire her.” 

Griselda looked confused as she nervously rubbed her hands down her thighs. “What?” 

Plum smiled looking between mother and son, the amusement at Marianne’s contradiction on her lips. “Because murder is wrong.” 

Griselda frowned and shook her head as she walked over and pulled a chair out at her kitchen table and sat down beside Plum. “That’s insane, but I can see her logic.” 

Bog reached over and picked up one of the photos Plum had spread across the table. “This...this is where we had dinner the other night.” 

Reeves nodded. “Yeah, she killed a guy in the alley there.” 

Bog stared at the picture. “She said she killed a guy, but he might live if he got to a hospital in time. I thought she was joking.” 

Griselda murmured. “How dangerous is she?” 

Plum smiled and surprised Griselda when the other woman placed her hand a little too far up on Griselda’s thigh and squeezed gently. “Well, if there were a list for such people, I would say she is near the top. Marianne is gifted, frighteningly gifted. There have been nine attempts to bring her in, and all have failed.” 

While the agent talked, Bog, his lips pressed together into a thin line, smiled just a little. Hearing about how incredible she was...Marianne. He had to struggle to keep his grin in check. He liked the sound of Marianne, the way her name rolled on his tongue and he liked the fact that she was a gifted killer, killing killers. 

Reeves was watching Bog with a slight frown while Plum talked. 

“Any confrontations with her have all ended in disaster, every single time.” Plum shook her head.”She will dance in, in a hail of bullets and chaos and simply dance out again.” 

Plum pushed her chair back and stood up. 

Bog looked up at her. “So now what?” 

“If she tries to make contact with you, any contact at all, you call us immediately and I mean, immediately. And don’t let her know that you know about her.” Plum smiled as she handed Bog her card. 

Bog still looked a bit stunned as he took the offered card. “Thank you.” 

Plum smiled. “Think nothing of it.” 

* 

That night Bog laid in bed unable to sleep. All he could do was think about her, about who she really was...about the fact that she had never lied to him about it either. 

Was it his fault that he took what she said as a joke? No, but she had never lied to him. 

As soon as it was daylight, Bog’s phone rang. He picked it up and stared at the number. 

* 

Marianne stood by her car, down the street from Bog’s apartment. She wore a pair of military green cargo shorts that were rolled up rather short, a slouchy purple blouse and some cute white tennis shoes, her phone at her ear. The message told her to leave her message after the beep. 

“Bog, I know i should give you space. I mean, I know you need to think, but I really need to see you. You...I…” There was a hitch in her voice and her lip trembled. “I love you...I just need to see you so ah, I’m coming over.” 

* 

Bog dressed, threw on a pair of grey jeans, white t-shirt and his favorite, only slightly beat-up looking tennis shoes and hurried out the door. He had gone down the outside steps of his apartment when he was surprised to see Liddell sitting in one of his mother’s lawn chairs outside the garage and looking out onto the street. She was using a small knife to cut up a bright red apple; she seemed to be mechanically eating the thin slices of fruit. 

He had completely forgotten that she and her partner Reeves were watching the house. 

He smiled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Ah, hi--everything going okay?” 

Plum smiled at him. “Oh, everything is going great.” 

Bog waited a heartbeat then shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans and asked. “Do you think I’m in danger?” 

Plum looked up at the tall man. He clearly meant something to Marianne, possibly the first person to ever mean something to the trained killer. 

When Plum spoke, she told him the absolute truth. “Well, I know she’s in danger. That person she killed had a lot of dangerous people backing him up. He was part of a crime syndicate from New Jersey. Marianne swooped in there and killed them all, but one man made it out. She…” 

Bog shook his head. “No, I mean: Am I in any danger from her?” 

Plum downed the last slice of apple, stood, and stepped closer to the man, the object of Marianne’s affections. “Someone like her, a contract killer...when you work like that, you have no friends. You don’t talk to people, you spends hours isolated in a string of endless hotels, cars, planes. Staring at nothing. But around you, she is different. She expresses her emotions--you are the only human being to every have meaningful contact with her. Are you safe? Yes, I think you are because she clearly sees you as an asset, which makes you an asset to me, Bog.” Plum smiled. 

Bog pressed his lips together in thought and headed into his mother's house. 

* 

Across town, Von and Mandy were in Mandy’s house; there they had several weapons laying across the table. Mandy picked up an old shotgun and tossed it to a large, bald black man standing on the other side of the table. 

Brutus easily caught the gun and frowned in confusion. “What the fuck am I supposed to do with this?” 

Mandy, wearing a tank top, very short black jean shorts, and her gun holster, took a drag off her cigarette and pointed. “It’s easy, the bullets come out of that end.” She smirked and blew smoke in Brutus’s direction. “Then the bullets hit people, and then hopefully they die.” 

Brutus picked up the shotgun shells as he muttered. “This is like a fucking world war two ass shotgun. You said this woman is a super sonic psycho killer and you clowns want me to go fucking duck hunting on this motherfucker? Is it cause she’s a woman? You know women can be vicious killers too, right? Women will mess your ass up, they don’t even have to be trained to do it man.” 

Von sighed. “Brutus stop bitchin. It was the best we could do on short notice, all right?” 

Mandy grinned. “Stop being a whiny bitch. She has no idea we’re coming. Just walk up to her and shoot her in the face, easy.” 

Brutus muttered. “You know, I’ve seen crack heads with better guns.” 

Mandy grinned brightly. “Oh I’m sure a cocksucker like you can do it.” 

“Watch your fucking mouth, you trying to be some green Scropia shit.” 

Mandy laughed. “You win the nerd assassin points with the obscure comic book reference.” 

Brutus glared at her as he held the weapon up and sighted down the barrel. “I look like fucking Elmer Fudd.” 

* 

Plum leaned against the side of the garage, her partner out in the car watching the house, when a grenade rolled along the sidewalk and bumped lightly up against her feet. 

Plum smiled. “Really, a grenade? I taught you that one Francine.” 

Plum pulled her Colt out and looked around the corner of the garage picking up the grenade as she did. 

She had just gone around the corner when Marianne rushed up behind her and whispered in Plum’s ear. “Love is strange.” 

Plum had just enough time to hiss, “Oh fuck me,” before Marianne put a taser against the side of the older woman’s throat and pulled the trigger. 

* 

Bog sat at his mother’s breakfast counter, his elbows resting on the surface, his cheeks resting on his hands watching his mother make banana bread. 

“What do you think Mam?” Bog asked softly. 

Griselda sighed pouring the batter into the pan. “I think that Francine…” 

Bog corrected her. “She likes Marianne they said.” 

“Right, I think Marianne likes you a lot Bog and, from what you said, she never lied to you...and you love her.” She turned to look at her son. “Don’t you?” 

Bog sucked in his lips then nodded. “Yeah, I do.” 

“Well then, I suppose killing bad people isn’t really that bad...she is sorta like a comic book anti-hero.” Griselda smiled. “You always liked those as a kid.” 

Bog chuckled then smiled wider. “Yeah I suppose…” the doorbell rang. 

Griselda glanced toward the door. “You mind sweetie?” 

Bog jumped up. “Sure thing Mam.” 

He took a few long, quick strides and opened the door only to see Marianne, dragging Plum’s body by the other woman’s feet. 

Bog sighed. “She dead?” 

He stepped aside at the same time letting Marianne drag Plum into the house as she smiled. “Nah, just unconscious. I’m real sorry.” 

She dragged Plum into the kitchen. Griselda glanced over. “She dead?” 

“Nah, just unconscious, can I stick her in your bathtub?” Marianne asked. 

Griselda shrugged. “Sure thing dear.” 

Bog followed Marianne with a sigh. “I’m not sure about you being here. I mean, I’m feeling confused and maybe we should...take a break?” 

Griselda looked over with a frown at her son. 

Marianne dropped Plum’s legs. She looked as if Bog had just slapped her. She walked closer to him, her voice barely a whisper, but it was clear her voice shook softly. “A...a break?” 

Bog looked upset, his bottom lip trembled as if he was barely controlling his urge to cry. 

Marianne shook a little, her eyes downcast, tears gathered at the corner of her eyes. She whispered. “Oh...okay.” 

They both stood still, staring at each other. 

Griselda watched, holding her mixing bowl against her chest. 

Bog looked at Marianne….then closed the gap between them, gathered her into his arms and kissed her. He lifted her off her feet and kissed her passionately. 

Marianne looked shocked, but after a few seconds she threw her arms around his neck and kicked her legs up attacking his mouth. 

They kissed passionately enough that Griselda was going to suggest they head back to his place when Bog placed Marianne back on her feet. 

“Wait...wait...ah...this ah, reverse hitman...hitwoman thing is a little weird.” Bog rubbed the back of his neck. Bog tilted his head. “But they’re bad people right?” 

Marianne nodded. “Yeah, but...yeah, but I should stop. That’s not an excuse.” She put her hands behind her back and rocked on her tennis shoes. 

Bog frowned. “I’m panic rationalizing this to myself...but…” 

Marianne grinned. “You are, but you’re doing great!!” 

Bog nodded then sighed finally grinning. “Okay whatever…” He yanked her back into his arms and kissed her again more passionately than before. He lifted her off her feet again. Marianne caressed his face, his hair, smiling against his mouth. Bog chuckled, the sound muffled with their tongues in each others mouths. 

* 

Reeves sighed with boredom until she saw two black SUVs speed up to the house and park with a slight squeal of tires. Twelve armed men got out of the vehicles and headed toward the house. Reeves sat up straighter as she grabbed her walkie. 

“Liddell! We have trouble! Twelve uglies heading your way.” 

* 

Marianne looked down at Plum and grabbed her walkie off her belt. Marianne frowned. “Who’s Liddell?” 

Bog pointed. “Ah, her. She’s with the FBI.” 

Marianne frowned as she walked over to look out the window. “No, her name is Plum, Aura Plum. She’s really, really bad. After I left the agency, we used to work together. We were real close. I told her I didn’t want to kill people and she said, “NO you have to come back and kill people.” Then she blew up a building in Serbia on top of me.” 

Bog nudged Plum’s foot with his shoe. “So Marianne…” 

Marianne turned from the window to look at Bog, her eyes wide with surprise. “What?” 

He glanced up. “Marianne...she told us your name was Francine, but that you prefer Marianne.” 

Marianne gasped. “SHE TOLD YOU MY NAME!?” 

Bog glanced at his mother then nodded. She stopped suddenly looking as if she wanted to get a few more kicks in, but refrained from further violence. “Sorry, that wasn’t necessary and sorry for the cursing. I just really hate her. ” 

She walked back to grab Bog’s hand, but he stopped. “I just...I don’t know Marianne...you’re a criminal...you are so fantastic...so perfect...but you kill people…it's not normal.” 

Marianne frowned, she reached out and took both of Bog’s hands in hers. “Bog, there is no such thing as normal. I love you. I want to do this with you. I want a life, with you. I want to be yours and I want you to be mine. I love you. Let’s do this! Let’s…” 

Bog grinned. “Stop talking Marianne...yes, the answer is yes.” 

Marianne grinned and grabbed Bog kissing him hard. 

Griselda began clapping, startling the two of them. “Oh gosh, I’m so happy for you two!!” 

Marianne giggled and blushed. Bog did the same, but then his mother glanced at the door. “You two better get going.” 

Marianne nodded and grabbed Bog’s hand heading for the front door when she stopped. “This is going to be tough. I can’t kill anyone...last time you freaked!” 

Bog shook his head. “It’s fine. I’m okay now.” 

Marianne narrowed her eyes at him. “Now don’t tell me you’re fine with something then come back and say you weren’t fine and it's something I should have figured out, but you didn’t tell me.” 

“No, no--I’m fine really.” Bog smiled. 

Marianne took a breath. “Okay, you trust me?” 

Bog grinned. “Of course.” 

She giggled. “You look hot by the way, I love the cut of that t-shirt.” 

He lifted a brow. “It's athletic cut.” 

“Yummy! I love the way it shows off your broad shoulders and that washboard stomach, very sexy. Okay, let’s do this!” She grabbed his hand and pulled him with her while 

Bog was blushing and giggling at the compliment. 

Griselda watched them go with a shrug. “Young love.” 

* 

They rushed outside only to have a tall, thin man materialize out of nowhere welding a metal pipe. Marianne reacted instantly, twisted around, brought her leg up and smashed the man in the side of the face. She followed with another tightly controlled kick to the nose, breaking the bridge of his nose. The attacker cried out and fell backwards off his feet, struck his head on the pavement, knocking himself out. 

Another man, this one dark skinned with his long black hair in a ponytail, came around the corner, his gun out. Marianne did a backward twist and kick, knocked the gun from the man’s hand with her foot, and sent the gun up into the air. She finished her twist and caught the gun out of the air, while at the same time she grabbed the pipe from the other attacker from where it had rolled along the ground and stopped by her feet. She aimed the gun at Brutus as the big man came rushing up with his shotgun aimed right at her. 

* 

Bog watched all of this, seeing the way the weapons moved in the flow, just liked his girlfriend--Marianne--had showed him the other night. He could see it. 

He grinned, he could see it. 

* 

Marianne threw the pipe at Brutus, hitting the man in the forehead which allowed her to roll around the corner of the garage. 

The man she had taken the gun from started to come around the corner with another gun which he had grabbed from the man she had kicked into unconsciousness, but 

Marianne came out from the corner at the same time, leading with her elbow which she smacked into his face followed by grabbing his gun arm and forcing the gun down and around. She squeezed the man’s hand, made the gun go off, shooting himself in the crotch. 

Marianne did a leap frog move over the man, still holding onto his gun hand, which forced his arm back at an unnatural angle. The man was already yelling around the gunshot to his groin, but now Marianne broke his arm. Marianne squeezed his fingers again, another shot went off at Brutus, nicking his hand and forced him to drop the shotgun. 

Marianne yanked the pistol free from Mr. Crotchshot (as she was now thinking of him.) and threw the gun at Brutus. 

Brutus dodged it with a grin. 

He stepped forward and brought his hands up. “Guess it's just you and me lady.” 

Marianne smiled. “Oh I like that, thank you! You called me lady!” 

The two of them circled each other warily, watching for signs of ability and attack. Brutus took a swipe at her. Marianne blocked his first fist with the flat of her hand to his wrist, deflecting it to the side, but Brutus’s second fist connected with her cheek. 

Marianne did a little spin away and laughed. “That was a nice shot!” 

Brutus grinned. “Thank you.” 

She followed her compliment with three quick thrusts of her fists. Brutus blocked all three, but Marianne’s fourth shot broke through his defenses and hit Brutus in the lip. 

“Yowch! Damn girl, nice one!” Brutus grinned. 

He took a couple more swings at her. Marianne easily dodged them, but he came very close to hitting her, she could feel the breeze of his fists passing by her. Marianne hit him again, her first meeting his cheek. 

She giggled. “You’re very good.” 

Brutus felt his cheeks warm. “Well thanks.” 

The pipe man stood up groggily. He saw the fight between Marianne and Brutus, wobbled over thinking he had an advantage since she didn’t see him, and pulled a knife as he stepped closer. Marianne sensed someone at her back and broke off her fight with Brutus to perform a spin with her leg out that would have made any ballerina proud, except she added more strength to her spin and kicked pipe man hard enough to knock him to the pavement again. 

Brutus took that distraction in her attention to grab his shotgun again. 

Marianne looked over at Bog with concern. “You all right Bog?” 

Bog stared at her. “You are amazing.” 

Marianne giggled. “Come on let’s go.” 

Bog started to come toward her as Brutus shot his weapon. 

Marianne heard the shot. She turned and put herself between Bog and the shotgun pellets, bringing her hand up at the same time. 

Buckshot hit her hand and knocked her off her feet. 

“Marianne!” Bog yelled in panic.


	5. Broken Contracts

Marianne fell to the pavement just as Bog dropped to a knee next to her. The weapon clearly fired, but not as well as it should have because the buckshot should have completely destroyed Marianne’s hand, which it didn’t; though as Bog knelt next to her, helping her back to her feet it was clear she was hurt. Marianne staggered and leaned against Bog. Drops of blood ran down from a wound on her forehead where some of the buckshot had nicked her and her hand was a bloody mess.Brutus snorted. The old gun performed about as well as he had expected it to as he looked into the barrel of the weapon and silently cursed. 

Marianne pushed herself away from Bog, she weaved a bit, still disoriented. She reached for a pistol on the ground, grabbing it as she wobbled again, holding her bloody hand up in confusion. It was clear from her expression that though she was stunned, she still somehow raised the gun to keep it pointed at the man who shot her. 

“Marianne?” Bog reached for her again as she wobbled and leaned against the wall. 

The gun that Marianne held on Brutus gave the man pause and he slowly lowered the rifle; that and the fact that his gun seemed to be jammed anyway which made it useless. Marianne waved the pistol at him and forced the big man to put his hands up. 

Marianne giggled a little manically. “What the hell was that? Was that supposed to be a shotgun?” 

She glanced back at Bog. “Are you okay?” 

Bog nodded smiling at her though his expression exhibited his worry for her. “I’m fine.” 

She grinned and held her hand up for him to see. “Does it look bad? Is my hair okay? What about my clothes, tell me I didn’t get blood on my clothes...God, blood is such a bitch to get out.” She muttered and turned her attention back to Brutus, who had spied another fallen pistol and had taken just one step toward it when Marianne turned back around. 

“No, no, nope! You stay right there.” She smiled at Brutus. 

Brutus stopped reaching for the weapon and put his hands up again, said with a shrug. 

Bog frowned. “Marianne, are you all right? By the way, you look beautiful, simply gorgeous.” 

She grinned and winked at him. “Never better and thank you.” She blushed and wrinkled her nose at him. “You’re so sweet. Wanna get married?” 

Bog grinned. “Yes, yes I would.” 

She giggled. “Awesome. When this is all over I’ll get a ring and do a proper proposal okay?” 

Bog frowned. “Aren’t I suppose to…” 

Marianne made a rude nose. “PPffft...I wanna do it.” 

Bog chuckled gazing at her lovingly. “Whatever you want tough girl.” 

Marianne beamed then turned back to Brutus and hissed. “Damn, this really fucking hurts.” She smiled at Brutus. “That was really good though. I totally didn’t see that coming. You really got me…?” She smiled at him then winced putting her hand holding the pistol to her head. Bog frowned, worry creasing his brow deeper. 

Brutus glanced to the side where he saw another pistol on the ground from one of the men Marianne had fought. He began to lean toward it, but Marianne motioned with the pistol in her hand. “Hey now...?” 

Brutus stopped and put his hands up. “The name’s Brutus.” 

“OOoh, I like that. Big name. So ah, Brutus, why didn’t you try and take Bog...oh sorry,” she said with a little giggle. “Bog, Brutus, Brutus, Bog...so why didn’t you try and take him hostage?” Marianne made a soft groan of pain then shook her head a little. 

Brutus frowned. “Didn’t seem cool.” 

Marianne giggled. “Didn’t seem cool, eh? I like that. I like you.” 

Bog reached out and stroked some of Marianne hair back from her face. He noticed blood in her hair which worried him further. “We should go.” He glanced over at Brutus. 

“And ah, thanks for not taking me hostage.” 

Marianne looked at Bog confused for a moment before she began to answer. “Oh yeah…” 

That was the moment that several gunshots were fired in their direction. Von, Mandy and the rest of the men that Rachel had given her brother, came rushing toward them. 

Marianne cursed. “Shit!” 

They took off at a run, (Marianne stopping just long enough to grab the pistol that Brutus had been reaching for) the men firing at them as Bog and Marianne made their way around his mother’s house and began to sprint across the neighbor’s backyard. Bog had his arms up, flinching at each gun shot while Marianne was ducking and weaving but luckily none of the shots hit either of them. 

Marianne grabbed Bog and yanked him back behind the neighbor’s garden shed on the side where the stone path led to the house. Bog and Marianne could see the neighbors looking out their back window at them, fear and curiosity in their eyes. Bog panted as he pressed his back against the shed wall with Marianne beside him. 

Marianne grinned. “It’s a good thing they all went to the stormtrooper school of shooting.” 

Bog blinked at her. Marianne, who had looked around the corner of the shed to see where their pursuers were, pulled back and pressed her back to the wall. She glanced at 

Bog noticing the strange look he was giving her. 

She frowned. “What?” 

Bog grinned wider. “Stormtroopers?” 

She shrugged. “I’m a bit of a nerd I guess.” 

Suddenly, surprising her, Bog’s hands shot out, grabbed her face and pulled her close before he pressed his lips to hers. “I love you.” 

Marianne giggled and blushed. “Love you too.” 

“So, who are these guys?” Bog asked. 

Marianne shrugged. “Not sure, but boy do they seem really pissed. Look, ah...I probably need to kill these guys, but I promise it will be the last time.” 

Bog smiled at her. “It’s fine, I don’t care.” 

“Are you sure? I don’t want you later to…” Marianne frowned giving him a stern look. 

Bog nodded. “Do what you do Marianne.” 

Marianne giggled and blushed. “I do like how you say Marianne, the way you roll the “r” and your accent peaks out a little. It’s very sexy. I can’t wait to hear you say it in bed.” Marianne, despite the pain she was in, waggled her eyebrows at Bog who blushed bright red. 

She winked at him before turning around the corner and took a quick, precise shot, hitting one man in the forehead. 

* 

Von, who was closest to the man who went down with a hole in his head, threw himself behind some lawn furniture. The rest of the crew with him including Mandy, all looked for places to hide behind for cover. One of them dropped another table down for cover, several others hid behind a raised flower bed and Mandy hid around the corner of a ridiculous looking fountain. 

Von yelled both in fear and surprise when the man dropped down, shot by Marianne. “Sonofabitch!” 

* 

Marianne edged closer to the corner of the shed and yelled. “Okay, you saw I can basically kill all you guys from here, right?” She glanced at Bog with a grin and a quick nod. “So, you see that guy? He now has a sunroof in the middle of his forehead...renovations never goes as you plan, but you guys need to ask yourselves...how awkward is Christmas gonna be at his house now? I mean you let your buddy get killed!! What about his family?” 

Bog whispered. “What if he had a cat?” 

Marianne nodded vigorously. “Yeah! What if he had a cat? Who's gonna feed his cat? You guys think about this stuff before you agreed to this job? I mean, I know you all are getting paid, but ask yourselves, is it really worth it? Is is really enough?” 

Marianne grinned at Bog before she yelled at their attackers again. “Okay, you guys all know how this is going to go down--no shame here. No one is going to think your balls have shriveled up just because you got owned by a girl.” 

She giggled and Bog elbowed her playfully in the side. She grinned up at him, her brown eyes sparkled. “What?” 

“You’re terrible.” Bog laughed. 

Marianne smiled. “You love me though.” 

“I love you.” Bog said before he leaned in and kissed her. Marianne made a soft moan of want returning his kiss quickly before she sighed with. 

* 

One of the men sat his gun down and stood. 

“I’m out,” he said before he simply ran off. 

Von watched his man go, his mouth hung open in disbelief. “What? Where the fuck are you going??!! We paid you for the day!” 

The man kept running while yelling back. “Fuck you and fuck this!” 

Marianne glanced around the corner and yelled. “Anyone else? No one?” 

Von yelled back at her. “Go fuck yourself!” 

Marianne turned to look at Bog, her bottom lip sticking out. Bog made a face. “Well that was rude.” 

Marianne nodded. “Yeah it was.” She yelled out to Von. “That wasn't very nice! You kiss your mom with that mouth??” 

Von frowned at the comment, but Marianne continued. She glanced to the side seeing one of the small side lawn tables and grabbed it, pulling it behind the shed with her and Bog as she spoke. “Hey why don’t we get some lemonade, or maybe a couple of beers, though I’m not a real big beer person. I mean, I’ll drink one if that’s all there is but...OH Have any of you guys tried a raspberry lemonade margarita? OMG those are so good!” 

One of the men with Von shouted. “Yeah I’ve had one, they’re great!” 

Von snarled. “Shut the fuck up Donnie!” 

Donnie frowned. 

Marianne in the meantime had turned the little table over so the flat of the table was against the smooth path. She positioned herself on it while Bog watched her in confusion. “What are you doing?” he asked. 

Marianne grinned. “Just give me a little push.” 

Bog frowned putting his feet on two of the legs of the table. “Are you sure?” 

“Trust me.” She wrinkled her nose and made a kiss at him. Bog chuckled and pushed. 

The table slid along the path and with both guns in her hands, Marianne began to shoot as soon as she was out from the cover of the shed. 

She hit three of Von’s men, one in the shoulder and two in the knee before the table stopped it's sliding. She hopped to her feet with a big grin. “How you guys feeling now?” 

She slid the one gun into the band of her pants at the small of her back before wrapping her free hand around her other wrist; her pistol was ready. “Everyone alive?” 

She walked slowly, kicking any fallen weapons out of the way. 

Von, ready to pee himself, stood up holding his hands up. “Look I’m sorry--this was a big mistake.” He slowly set his weapon on the ground. 

Marianne stopped moving. Bog had come out of hiding to stand a little distance behind her. Marianne stared at Von and tilted her head to the side. “Have we met?” 

Von shrugged then muttered. “Well, sorta kindof.” 

Marianne narrowed her eyes in thought. “Oh I remember you!! New Jersey right?” 

Von smiled then shrugged again. “Yeah…” 

“You’re Vinnie?” she asked. 

“Von.” He replied and Marianne nodded. “Okay, yeah I remember you. You were the guy hiding under the table when I killed all those bad people.” 

Von looked down. “It was my first big gun fight...it was scary...I was scared.” 

Marianne nodded her understandably. “You remember what I told you? I told you to stay out of trouble. Now, did you not listen to me because I’m a woman?” 

Von looked down. “No...my sister is a woman.” 

Marianne sighed. “You really should have listened,” she murmured, pulling her clown nose out and placing it on her nose. Von looked at her in terror. 

“Look, look it wasn’t me who hired you!! It was my sister Rachel!! She’s the one you want!” 

Marianne began to say something when suddenly Brutus appeared out of nowhere with a baseball bat slamming the wood against the back of Marianne’s head. She collapsed to the ground. 

At the same time Mandy grabbed Bog from behind, pressing a knife to his throat. Von retrieved his gun while Brutus hit Marianne a few more times with the bat when he realized she wasn’t out yet. Von yelled. “Okay enough, get away from her!” 

Brutus stopped and quickly grabbed Marianne’s gun from her hand as she groaned in pain. 

Bog yelled. “Marianne!!” 

Mandy laughed and pressed the knife hard enough against his throat that she drew blood. A bright crimson trail ran down Bog’s throat to stain his shirt. 

“Oh hold on there big boy, unless you want your throat sliced wide.” Mandy chuckled and licked Bog’s cheek. He tried to yank away from the woman’s touch, but that only allowed the knife to cut deeper. 

She forced Bog to walk and threw him at Brutus who caught him and painfully pulled Bog’s arms behind him. Bog hissed in both anger and pain. He struggled, but Brutus knew what he was doing, knew how to hold Bog in such a way that he would hurt himself the more he struggled to break free of Brutus’s hold. 

Mandy walked over to crouch in front of Marianne. She grinned nastily and reached out to take the clown nose as Marianne coughed, blood spilling from between her lips. 

Mandy smiled and tossed the nose away before she leaned forward slightly and rubbed a finger over Marianne’s bloody lips. “I tried a gimmick once. Bow tie. But I think I’ll just be the girl that cuts open your boyfriend.” 

Brutus held Bog, now holding the barrel of a gun to his head. 

“Why we taking him?” he asked as he looked between Von and Mandy. “Why don’t you two just kill her if you want her dead?” 

Von rolled his eyes. “Brutus, shut up and do what you’re told.” 

Brutus glared then snarled dragging Bog with him as he walked away. 

Marianne called out weakly, though her head was spinning and she couldn't focus. “BOG!” 

Von grinned. “You want him, come get him. Fremont street. You better hurry.” 

Mandy leaned down and licked some of the blood from the corner of her mouth. “You better hurry big shot killer.” Then she stood up and followed Von and Brutus. 

Marianne struggle to focus as she hissed. “Bad move...this is a really bad move.” She pulled the other gun out only to have it kicked out of her grip. Marianne looked up to see Plum standing there looking down at her. 

Marianne grinned with bloody teeth. “You’re awake.” 

Plum narrowed her eyes. “Having fun? Making a fool out of yourself?” The older woman sounded disgusted as she crouched down next to Marianne. “What happened to you? You used to be like the grim reaper.” Plum shook her head and drew out her pistol. The men Marianne had shot earlier, the two knee shots and the one shoulder wound, were all still writhing in pain on the ground. Plum shot all three of them without comment. 

“You were the mistress of death Francine.” 

Marianne snarled. “Don’t call me that.” 

Plum shrugged. “Marianne, you were a dealer of death. This magnificent angel swooping in and dealing out judgment…” Plum shook her head with a sigh. “You were magnificent.” She stood up again. “I remember there was that Yakuza guy who literally pissed himself when he heard you were on your way. What happened to that Marianne, eh? I mean...you’re pathetic now.” 

Marianne showed her teeth in a bloody grin at Plum. 

Plum sighed. “And what’s with that clown nose? Is that a joke I’m not getting?” 

Marianne winced in pain as she moved but she continued to smile and whispered. “Knock knock.” 

Plum frowned then shrugged deciding to play Marianne’s game. “Who's there?” 

Marianne hissed holding her ribs, and groaned in pain rolling other side, but all of that was followed by a giggle. “Joke you’re not getting.” 

Plum sighed. “Haha very funny. All right, time to go home dear.” 

Marianne smiled. “You should smile more Plum. You’d would be more popular and it's pretty, you got a pretty smile.” 

Plum chuckled smiling at her and Marianne grinned. “See, there it is.” 

That was when they both were startled by the sound of Reeves, Plum’s partner with the local police, yelled. “Hands where I can see them!” 

Plum turned casually to look at her “partner.” Reeves had her weapon out, aimed at Marianne who still lay on the ground. “Where’ve you been?” 

Reeve frowned. “I was calling for backup. They’re on their way.” 

Plum smiled. “Oh, well, good job. You can relax though sugar. She’s in custody. She isn’t going anywhere.” 

Reeves glanced at Liddell, looking a little confused since Marianne wasn’t cuffed and they had seemed to be talking as friends just moments ago. “Are you sure?” 

Plum smiled and in the next instant shot Reeves in the chest. The young woman went down, hitting the pavement of the path with a sickening sound of her body falling. 

Plum smiled then frowned. “Shoot, that’s probably going to be a little messy…” 

She turned to look down at Marianne only to see she was gone, the only indication of Marianne having been there was the blood on the stone path and spread across the grass. 

Plum hissed. “Fuck.” 

* 

Outside of Rachel Cartigan’s home that she was renting while in town, Von and Mandy stood talking. 

Von grinned at Mandy. “Okay, this is a really simple plan. The boyfriend is in there with Rachel. We just wait for his maniac girlfriend to show up and kill everyone. We find any excuse to get the fuck out of here and just like that…” Von snapped his fingers. “I’m king of the castle. So what doesn’t make sense to you?” 

Mandy held a cigarette between her lips, pulled it out at the same time that she shrugged, smoke slowly flowing from her lips and nostrils. “I don’t know...all of it. I mean, what if she don’t come? What if she doesn’t kill Rachel? You’re putting an awful lot of trust into a psycho killer to be predictable.” 

Von gave Mandy a longsuffering look. “She kills people, it's what she does and we have her boyfriend. She’s gonna be pissed.” 

Mandy shrugged, jammed her cigarette into the corner of her mouth. “Maybe.” 

That was when the door they had been standing in front of opened and Rachel’s bodyguard Bruce stepped out looking calm, cool and collected. “Rachel will see you now.” 

Von grinned. “Thanks dickhead,” he said as he pushed past the other man. 

Mandy began to follow, but Bruce put his hand on her shoulder. “Sorry, just your boyfriend.” 

Bruce stepped back and closed the door as Mandy threw her cigarette down and smashed it with the toe of her boot. “He’s not my boyfriend,” she snarled at the door. 

* 

Inside the room Bog sat on a wooden chair. His wrists and ankles had been duct taped to the chair and more duct tape was across his mouth. Rachel, dressed in grey slacks and a burgundy blouse, her hair done up in a complicated braid/bun stood across from him, her desk between them, Bruce, Brutus and her little brother Von stood at the desk. 

Rachel frowned. “You’re telling me…” She looked at Brutus. “That you shot this woman in the face and she just...shrugged it off?” 

Brutus looked a bit unsure of himself as he nodded. “Well, your brother gave me a fucking antique shotgun, but yeah. Look, I don’t understand what happened and I ain’t really interested in seeing her again so if you just give me my money, I’m out. Gone.” 

Rachel smiled. “I’m sorry...Brutus you say…” 

She walked slowly around the desk dragging her finger along the shining wooden surface. “So how about I pay you back…” 

Just as she came along to the front of the desk she moved swiftly and grabbed one of the many knick-knacks on her desk, this one a heavy marble and gold pencil cup. The pencils went flying as she slammed Brutus across the face with the cup, Brutus fell to the floor and Rachel hit the downed man another three times, spittle flying from her clenched jaws until Brutus lay groaning. She smiled down at the man. “There, payback for a job not well done.” 

Rachel then looked up at her little brother her eyes flashing. “Now you.” 

Von threw his hands up. “Whoa! Whoa now Rach, listen…” 

Brutus dragged himself off the floor into a nearby chair. 

Bog watched all of this with wide eyes while at the same time slowly trying to work his wrists free. 

Von smiled at his sister. “Look, ah, I’ll just offer a bigger reward...” 

Rachel laughed. “That’s your plan, just gonna throw more money at your problem?” She glanced at Bruce. “Stupid right?” 

Bruce nodded. “Yep, stupid.” 

Von glared at Bruce. “Shut the fuck up, what’dya even do Bruce?” 

Bruce grinned. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” 

Vons eyes widened a tad as his sister and Bruce shared a look. Von held up his hands. “No, I don’t wanna know.” 

Bruce grinned then said softly. “We have no idea where she is, right? We can’t afford to have her find this house. I say we let him go.” He glanced over at Bog who looked surprised. 

Von looked as if he was about to lose his mind. “LET HIM GO!! Really??? That’s your fucking idea?” Von took a step toward his older sister, pointing at her as he did so. “You know what Rach! You have no fucking idea what you’re doing and you have no BALLS!” 

Rachel hit her baby brother with a vicious right hook, knocking him on his ass. At the same time as Von hit the floor, he yelled. “Son of a bitch!! You fucking bitch!” 

Rachel straddled her brother and hit him again. She hit him one more time before she grabbed him by the front of his shirt and shook him. “I am going to try a LOT harder to control my temper Von, but the bodies are piling up and Mom is going to notice. The ball is in your fucking court Von. I’ve been defending your worthless, coke-headed ass for years...for fucking YEARS Von! And right now, you know what I just realized?” She stood up straight, glaring down at her brother who was bleeding from his nose and lips. “I was wrong Von. You should have died that day she came swooping in there and killed the Perellos. You should never have walked away from that gun fight you sniveling little shit.” 

Von got to his feet staring at his sister’s back with undisguised hatred. “Fuck you Rachel,” he gritted out. 

Rachel ignored his words and pointed. “Take the boyfriend and get out of this room.” 

Von grabbed the back of Bog’s chair, tilted it back, and began to drag Bog out of the room. Rachel glared after her little brother. “And I don’t care if you tell Mom I beat your ass either!” 

Rachel looked at Brutus whose lip was swelling, a pressure cut visible along his cheek and a bruise was forming under his eyes, before she glanced at Bruce. “If she shows up here, I want our guys to hit her with everything we got.” She smiled at Brutus. “This time honey, you’ll have a better gun.” 

* 

Brutus stood in another room of the estate, the table was filled with modern weapons: AK-74s, M16s, AK-4s, , M1911s and Glock 17s. Bruce and Von stood around the table while Mandy and several other men sat around in the background. Bruce threw down three very large stacks of bills, all hundreds. Brutus frowned then reached down to pick up the bills and began shoving them into his pockets. “I gave up counting how many bad decisions I’ve made.” 

He picked up one of the weapons with a grin. “You guys had an automatic M-16, with a fucking laser scope and you guys gave me Elmer Fudd’s shotgun? Bunch of motherfucking white ass bitches,” Brutus muttered as he walked off with the gun. 

Mandy laughed. “I like him. 

* 

In another room on the second floor, Bog was still duct taped to the chair and Von and Mandy were in the room with him. The room was mostly bare, except for a few odd pieces of art, some stone angel figure on the wall, an old chair that looked like a mini throne or something weird, a standing coat rack and a large spot light hung over some pole. The tall windows of the room where covered in plastic sheets as if someone was about to repaint the room, which it desperately needed. 

Von muttered loudly. “Fucking can’t believe we are going to fucking be here when she fucking shows up.” He was trying to load his gun and hissed. “I can’t do this!” 

Mandy took it from him. “Calm down--let me.” 

Mandy worked the gun like a pro. “So what, we’re fucked. You, my friend, had the balls to push the cart all the way down the fucking hill! This’ll be fucking fun.” 

Von blinked and stared at her. “Shut the fuck up Mandy.” 

Mandy stepped in close to him, her gold tooth glinted. “Now, now Von. Watch your mouth.” 

Von glared at her. “Or what? What the fuck are you going to do?” 

Mandy reached forward to drag her finger along the collar of Von’s t-shirt. “This is supposed to be fun Von. Don’t make it unfun.” 

Von narrowed his eyes. “Who the fuck do you think you are?” 

Mandy licked his chin which caused Von to stumble back a step as she grinned and whispered. “I’m fucking Mandy Moon.” 

That was when the both heard Bog laughing behind his taped mouth. 

They both turned to stare at Bog who was continuing to laugh. Von glared at him. “What the fuck are you laughing about stick bug?” 

Bog glanced up at them and his blue eyes were dancing with mischief. Von glared at Bog then smiled at Mandy, “Hey, wanna have some fun?” 

Mandy chuckled and nodded at Von’s question. “Oh yeah, I like fun.” 

They both stepped over to stand in front of Bog. Von reached forward and ripped the tape off Bog’s mouth. Bog yelped as the duct tape took hair from Bog’s cheeks and chin. 

Bog snarled. “Sonofabitch!” 

Von grinned. “So, you got something to say sweetheart?” 

Bog grinned wide, showing off his crooked teeth. “Okay, this is you guys.” Bog pitched his voice high and whiney. “Oh no, she is coming! She is going to kill us all.” 

Bog laughed. “And then you, Mandy Moon…” Bog laced her name with sarcasm. “Oh I love you Von. I love you too Mandy, you wanna go on a camping trip? Oh yes Von, please.” 

Von laughed glancing over his shoulder at Mandy who was chuckling. “Ooh, a funny man.” 

He slapped Bog across the face hard enough to knock Bog’s head to the side. Bog winced stretching open his mouth and licking a drop of blood from the corner of his mouth. 

Von narrowed his eyes leaning close to him. “So tell me what it's like…” 

Bog interrupted him. “Having an IQ over 70?” 

Von gave Bog a mocking smile. “Dating a serial killer.” 

Bog ignored the question. “You know, I have something I really need to ask you two, because you know, I really don’t understand this plan of yours at all. Is it a ‘get killed’ plan? An elaborate get ourselves killed plan? Like some sort of suicide pact?” 

Von slugged Bog across the face, which snapped his head painfully to the side. Bog’s mouth was flooded with the taste of blood. Von grinned seeming blood roll down Bog’s chin from his split lip, another trail of blood slowly flowed from Bog’s nose. “That sting big mouth? Huh? You wanna feel it again?” 

Bog snarled. “Are you stupid?” Bog looked at both of them with barely contained anger. “You better hope you are long gone when she gets here, otherwise you are so fucked. She is going to kill every one of you. And if she doesn’t,” Bog said with a little pause, “then I will.” Bog smiled. 

Von laughed. “You are going to kill us?” 

Bog shrugged. “Successful people set achievable goals.” 

Von laughed before he kicked Bog in the chest sending him and the chair he was taped to backwards into the floor. Bog hissed in pain as his head pounded against the floor and the chair dug into his back. Von walked over and grabbed the chair, heaved Bog back upright. Bog’s teeth were covered in blood as Von hissed. “How does it feel now ya cunt?” 

Bog laughed. “I feel...motivated.” 

Von and Mandy frowned, exchanging a look. 

* 

Outside Brutus was muttering to himself as he pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pants pocket. He leaned against his car near where his weapon lay on the hood alongside a small brown paper bag. He cursed when he saw the cigarette that he pulled out was slightly bent, but he stuck the cigarette between his lips and pulled out his lighter. “You are a stupid fuck Brutus, I don’t know why you’re here except to get your black ass shot. Is that it? You got a death wish?” 

That was when he heard a whistle. He looked up startled, dropping his cigarette from his lips which fell to the pavement when he saw Marianne sitting on top of the stone fence that surrounded the property, the red clown nose on her nose. She smiled brightly at him. 

“Hey Brutus! What’s going on?” 

Brutus started to reached for something, but Marianne held her weapon up. “Now don’t…” 

But Brutus simply pulled a red gummi bear from the bag that sat near his weapon. 

Marianne grinned at him as Brutus tossed the gummi into his mouth before pulling out another slightly bent cigarette from his package, stuck it between his lips. Marianne still looked like hell with dried blood along her forehead, her hand wrapped in bandages. “So Brutus, how many inside?” 

Brutus shrugged lighting his cigarette. “Mm...let’s see. There’s Von, Mandy, Bruce, Rachel, which is four and another six, all with automatic weapons.” 

Marianne nodded as she holstered her pistol. She pointed at Brutus’s weapon which laid on the back of the car. “May I?” 

Brutus shrugged. “Go ahead.” 

She grinned and picked up the M16. She held it up and fired it at the windows of the house several times. 

* 

Inside three men along with Von, Mandy, and Bruce flipped out and started to fire out their weapons randomly, firing up the stairs and one fired his weapon into the wall. 

Only Bruce didn’t fire, frowning and cursing. 

* 

Marianne grinned. “That startled them.” 

Marianne set the gun back down before she tilted her head and studied Brutus’s battered and bruised face. “So, ah, what happened to your face?” 

“That cunt Rachel hit me with a pencil holder. Damn thing was marble.” 

Marianne winced. “Ouch, damn. She is a cunt.” 

Brutus took a drag on his cigarette. “Tell me about it. Who does that?” 

Marianne nodded then pointed at the bag of gummy bears. “Can I have some?” 

Brutus smiled at her. “Sure thing.” 

She grinned happily and picked up the bag. “I love the green ones,” she said as she pulled one out and popped it into her mouth. 

Brutus laughed. “I fucking hate the green ones.” 

Marianne gasped. “Oh my god, that is perfect!! We are like perfect together!” she threw another one into her mouth before she pulled her weapon, and only now did Brutus notice she had two pistols. She sighed and looked at the house before glancing over her shoulder at Brutus. “See you inside?” 

Brutus shrugged as he blew out some smoke. “It’s what they’re paying me for.” 

Marianne nodded as she walked off and yelled over her shoulder. “Good luck!” 

Brutus watched her go shaking his head. “She is a little fucking spitfire...and fucking crazy to boot.” He smiled. 

* 

Inside the stairwell of the manor, Bruce pointed at Von. “Go and take your sister to the basement.” 

Von sighed and motioned for two men to follow him as he went without argument. Bruce turned to Mandy. 

“You, upstairs.” 

Mandy sighed and rolled her eyes, but she grabbed one of the other men and took him with her as she headed up the stairs. Bruce, holding his weapon ready, took aim at the front door. 

* 

Von shoved the door to his sister’s “office” open. Rachel was sitting behind her desk pouring herself a drink, her own pistol sat in the middle of her desk within easy reach. 

She jumped, surprised to see her brother. 

Von grinned. “Nothing to worry about Rach--we got everything under control.” 

That was the moment they all heard something whistle. The three men turned as one and fired at the windows. 

* 

Bog, duct tape back over his mouth, heard the sound of weapons fire and grinned behind his tape. 

* 

There was a short break between firing at the window, Von and the others were momentarily confused when nothing had happened, but no sooner had the sounds of bullets breaking glass and drywall stopped, than Marianne burst through the window. 

She rolled to her feet like a gymnast, smiling the entire time as she crossed her arms and fired both weapons easily taking out the three extra men, but left Von and his sister Rachel untouched. Marianne giggled and began to open her mouth to say something when another man kicked in the door. Marianne shot him without looking in his direction. 

Von was frantically trying to get his weapon to work, but it had jammed. He was cursing under his breath so low that his words were unintelligible. 

Marianne holstered her weapons and walked over to him with a pleasant smile on her pretty face. 

“Problem?” 

Von looked up at her and muttered. “I’m used to a smaller caliber guns than this.” 

Rachel, who hadn’t moved from her spot behind her desk watched the two of them with a confused frown. 

Marianne put her hand out for the gun. “Come on, let me take a look.” 

Von, looking like a child, handed her the gun. She handled the weapon like an expert, easily unjamming the weapon, pulled the slide, ejected a round, and chambered the next. She grinned playfully. “Want your gun back?” 

Von looked at her as if he wasn’t sure if she was teasing or not. He frowned then shrugged a little before he put his hand out. “Yeah...ah, yes.” 

She started to hand it back and jerked her hand back. “Psych.” She giggled and shot Von in the foot with it, at the same time her other hand reached out and snatched Rachel’s pistol off the desk aiming it at Rachel's head. 

Von yelled in pain, “Sonofabitch!!” as he hopped back. 

Marianne smiled at the other woman. It was clear, even sitting, that Rachel was taller, bigger built and nastier than her brother Von. 

Marianne smiled pleasantly. “So, where’s Bog?” 

Rachel narrowed her eyes at Marianne. “I ain’t telling you.” 

Marianne’s expression went cold. She held the weapon steady, aimed at Rachel’s forehead. Rachel had the grace to at least wince, waiting for the bullet as Marianne stared at her. Von watched expectantly, trying not to smile. Finally, with Rachel out of the way, everything would be his! 

Marianne sighed and gestured with her pistol to encompass her surroundings. “Okay, I’ll just go find him myself.” 

She smiled and started to leave the room. 

Von was leaning against the wall holding his wounded foot and glared at Marianne. “Wait a goddamn minute, you ain’t going to kill her?” 

Marianne stopped and stared at him. 

Von groaned. “Aren’t you gonna do that thing you do where you kill the person who hired you?” 

Marianne frowned. “What?” 

Von was beginning to lose his cool even more as he yelled. “That fucking stupid moral compass bullshit you do where you kill the people that hire you to kill someone!!!” 

Marianne laughed. “Oooh that. No. I promised my boyfriend I would stop doing that.” 

Von stared in disbelief. “WHAT?” 

Marianne blushed. “You ever met a guy...or a girl I don’t know which way you swing Von...but you ever met someone and you just...you just can’t stop thinking about them?” 

Von yelled. “WHAT THE LIVING FUCK!! I brought you here to kill her!” He pointed at his sister. “AND you aren't’ going to do it!?!” 

Marianne shrugged. “Sorry to let you down. Just...I don't really feel like killing you or your sister. I just want my boyfriend back.” 

Rachel hissed in anger, her eyes widening. “Von...” 

“Shut up Rachel!” Von glared at his sister as he turned back to Marianne. “You are letting me the fuck down!” 

Marianne sighed. “Looks like you and your sister have some issues to discuss. I’m gonna leave this here…” she placed the rifle down. “And, I’m gonna go pick up my boyfriend.” She smiled and waved at them both with her fingers as she left the room. 

As soon as Marianne was gone, Rachel practically vaulted over her desk, going for the gun while Von threw himself at the weapon making it before his sister, but not before she landed on his back. The two of them began to struggle. 

“Von, you little fucking prick!” Rachel had a hold of the weapon, as did Von. Von responded by biting his sister on the arm. Rachel yelped, unintentionally let go of her brother and stumbled back. 

“My God Von what the fuck is with you and the biting?!” 

But Von turned and fired the weapon at his sister; five rounds hit her in the torso. Rachel stared in shock at her little brother before she narrowed her eyes. 

“I always hated you, you little prick,” she gasped out. 

Von watched as his sister collapsed, dead. 

* 

Bruce, hiding in one of the rooms, heard the sound of gunfire as it traveled down the hall. He could also hear the sounds of men gasping or crying out in pain. She was on her way here, he realized. 

No sooner had the thought entered his mind than Marianne kicked in the door to the room where Bruce, on the other side of the door, was hiding. He turned, his shotgun aimed at the petite woman but Marianne tossed her pistol into the room, grabbed the weapon from Bruce, flipped the shotgun out of Bruce’s hands and tossed it out the door at the same time she dropped to her knees against the hardwood floor and slid on her knees into the room catching her own pistol, turning on her knees and aimed the pistol at Bruce. 

She grinned. “Tada!” 

Bruce smiled at her. “Cool.” He took his shirt off over his head and threw it to the floor. 

Marianne blinked. “Ah...what's happening? Whatcha doing?” 

Bruce pumped his arms, then added a kick followed by a yell. 

Marianne was still on her knees in front of a desk and a side table to her right. The room looked to have been an office and display room as there were several World War II era items in the room, a grenade, a pistol, some old photos, a war bonds poster. Marianne glanced around with a frown before she narrowed her eyes at Bruce watching his little display. “What is that? Tae Kwon Do?” 

Bruce grinned at her. “Karate.” 

Marianne stuck her bottom lip out. “I don’t know karate, that’s not fair.” 

Bruce narrowed his eyes. “You have a gun.” 

Marianne twisted her lips. “Okay, if I promise to put the gun down you promise not to do karate?” 

For a moment Bruce looked confused and shrugged. “Sure.” 

Marianne set the gun down on the table beside her. Bruce immediately kicked her in the face. Marianne yelped and grabbed her nose. He kicked her again, but she blocked his kick with her arm. “That’s KARATE!! That was definitely KARATE!” 

Marianne yelled again. “Okay okay, stop hold on a minute!” 

Bruce took a step back. Marianne moved incredibly fast. She was on her feet and had grabbed the pistol back off the table. Realizing what was happening, Bruce twisted around and grabbed the grenade off the table near him and pulled the pin. 

Marianne put her other hand up. “Whoa now.” 

Bruce suddenly looked at the grenade in his hand, his eyes widening as the realization of what he had just done washed over him. His expression melted from cocksure to the realization that he didn’t want to die. 

Marianne winced. “Bad move...I mean, did you think that through?” 

Bruce began to sweat. “I don't wanna die. This is bad!” 

Marianne holstered her gun by sliding it into the front of her pants. “Okay, calm down. What were you thinking? Why do you even have a grenade in here? Okay never mind, just stay calm. What’s your name?” 

Bruce was shaking as he said softly. “Bruce.” 

Marianne smiled. “Okay Bruce.” 

She walked slowly toward him. Bruce was shaking like a leaf as she carefully took the pin, which was still in his other hand, out from between his fingers. 

“Okay Bruce, breathe--we are all friends here.” She took the pin and very carefully slid it back into the grenade. She smiled at Bruce. “Yeah, look we did it!” She took the grenade out of this hand and motioned him over to a chair by the desk. “Here, you need to sit down before you fall down.” 

Bruce, still shaking, walked over and nearly fell into the seat. “Just breathe Bruce.” 

That was the moment Brutus came around the corner into the room his weapon out as he yelled. “FREEZE!” 

Marianne stood up and met the big man’s gaze. “Hey Brutus.” 

Brutus nodded, his gun aimed at her chest. 

Marianne stuck her bottom lip out. “You gonna shoot me? I mean there is no way I could get my…” She gestured at Bruce, drawing Brutus’ gaze away for just a moment, and yanked her pistol out lightning fast and giggled. “Oh lookie there!” 

Brutus grinned, still holding his weapon on her. “You’re good.” 

Marianne blushed. “Ahh, thank you.” 

She sighed then. “Your bosses are in the other room trying to kill each other by the way.” She frowned at Brutus. “You really want to kill me? It’s that important to you? I thought we were friends, bonding over gummi bears. I’m just here to pick up my boyfriend...so I’m gonna put my gun down.” 

Brutus looked unsure about what he wanted to do. He watched her set her gun on the floor next to Bruce who was still shaking as he watched her. Brutus continued to stare at Marianne, holding the weapon on her until he shrugged and lowered the gun. “I like you better than those motherfuckers.” 

Marianne squealed. “I knew it! I like you too! Hey Brutus, you know Bruce? Bruce, Brutus?” 

Bruce, still looking like he was about to have a panic attack, nodded at Brutus. “Hey man.” 

Marianne grinned and patted Bruce on the knee. “Hey you think you could watch him Brutus? He had a bad time. I’m gonna go find Bog!” 

Brutus watched her leave and shook his head before he turned back to Bruce. “You got anything to drink up here?” 

* 

Bog was struggling to loosen the duct tape when he heard footsteps outside the door to the room. He stopped moving, his focus on the door when Marianne came in, clown nose on her nose. She grinned when she saw him. “BOG!!” 

She holstered her gun and rushed to him throwing herself onto his laps and wrapped her arms around his neck. “There you are Goblin!!” 

She immediately began to cover him in kisses. Bog laughed behind the tape. Marianne stopped and stood up again grabbing the tape and yanked it free. 

Bog gasped in pain. “OUCH!!” 

Marianne giggled. “Sorry about that.” 

Bog grinned at her, but Marianne just stood and stared at him. 

“You are so cute,” she said with a sigh. 

Bog laughed. “You’re a perv, you just liked me tied up.” 

Marianne quirked her brow at him and grinned wickedly. “True, very, very true.” 

Marianne came closer again and kissed him passionately. Bog completely forgot for a moment he was tied up in a house of killers. Marianne pulled back from his mouth just long enough to take the red clown nose and popped it onto Bog’s nose. 

Bog chuckled. “Like it?” 

“Very sexy.” She giggled. “Okay, let’s get you out of here then I can tie you up my own way.” 

Bog blushed. 

* 

They were making their out of the house from the second floor by a series of stairs that ran along the outside of the house. Marianne had her weapon out and was moving slowly. It had begun to rain, which was masking the sounds of footsteps. 

Bog frowned. “Why are are moving so slow?” 

“I’m a little worried about that chick with the blue hair,” Marianne murmured. 

“Oh Mandy Moon?” Bog asked. 

“That’s her name?” Marianne frowned as she moved slowly down the stairs. 

Bog nodded. “Stupid isn’t it?” 

Marianne nodded. “She called me names and she just seems really mean.” 

Bog nodded. “I think she likes Von, but hates him too.” 

“Von...oh Rachel’s brother.” Marianne nodded. “You think so?” 

Bog nodded. “Yeah, you should have seen her help him with his gun. It was…” 

That was when a bean bag slammed into Marianne’s shoulder throwing her off balance. She lost her footing on the wet stairs and went tumbling down the last few to sprawl onto the ground below. 

Bog gasped. “Marianne!” 

He raced down the stairs to Marianne only to see the agent from before, Liddell standing there with a bean bag gun at the bottom of the stairs. 

“All right, that’s enough of this foolishness,” Plum said as she reloaded the gun. 

Bog was trying to help Marianne, but she yelled “Bog run!!” 

She shoved at him as she staggered to her feet turning her attention to Plum. “Come on Aura, can’t we talk about this?” 

Plum sighed. “No--we can’t.” She fired the bean bag gun again, the bag slamming into Marianne’s chest and knocking her back against the car parked in the space between a fence and the stairs. Bog had just started to move to help her when Mandy Moon came rushing around the corner of the house and grabbed him, pushing the barrel of a gun against his throat. 

“Come on cupcake, you’re coming with me.” 

Bog was yanked to the side just as Plum came up to Marianne and slugged her across the face. Marianne wobbled and Plum hit her in the face again. She pulled back to hit Marianne one more time, but Marianne lifted and arm to block her, knocking her fist away. Plum snarled and tried again, but Marianne weaved out of the way. The rain began to fall harder as Marianne grinned. 

“I sense you have some anger issues in regards to me.” 

Plum narrowed her eyes. 

* 

Mandy dragged Bog back into the house. She shoved him ahead of her and pointed the gun at his chest. “You must be real special for her to come for you like that.” 

Bog smiled. “Maybe.” 

He took a step backwards and immediately slipped and fell to the floor only to see that he had slipped in a puddle of blood. Mandy started to laugh as Bog held his hands up, blood covered his hands and stained his pants. Mandy kept laughing. 

Bog snarled. “Can you not laugh! I got blood everywhere! Gross! And my face hurts from your boyfriend hitting me.” 

Mandy walked around him, the gun in her hand. “Von is not my boyfriend!” She glared down at Bog then smiled. “You know, I like you on the floor like that. I like it when I see someone who thinks so much of themselves fall.” 

Bog frowned. “Thinks much of themselves? Me? You have no idea what you’re talking about.” 

She smiled and crouched down over Bog. She pressed the barrel of the gun against his sternum. “There was this girl, butch of a girl I went to school with, use to pick on me all the time. She was a real cunt, real bitch and a half….” 

Bog twisted around, but Mandy kept pushing him, forcing him to crab walk backwards until he hit the stairs. The whole time she had the business end of her gun pressed against him. He pulled himself up a couple stairs as Mandy pressed the gun to his chest painfully. “But you know what, she had a weakness. She had this fucking stupid pet turtle.” Mandy caressed Bog’s face leaning in close enough that she could have kissed him. “So one day I got a hold of her turtle...do you know the sound that turtles make when you crush them?” 

Mandy made the strangest half sigh half whispered sound as she snapped her jaws closed so close to Bog’s face he could almost feel the snap of her teeth against his cheek. She grinned at him caressing his face as she spoke. “Throws the bitch off her game to see her turtle dead, the one thing she loved, crushed to death...so then I beat the shit out of her.” Mandy chuckled, standing up and holstered her gun while at the same time pulling out a butterfly knife before she turned back around to face Bog. Bog stood up slowly, keeping an eye on Mandy and the knife. He moved slowly, making a wide circle around her as she continued to speak and eyeing him with a nasty smirk. “I love winning. I love killing things and I especially love killing defenseless things.” 

Bog calmed himself and let the pulse, the flow that Marianne had taught him to feel, roll over him until he was sure he could feel it, see it. He knew exactly what Mandy was going to do and where the knife was going to go. Mandy’s actions seemed to slow down to a crawl so that as she slashed at him with the knife, Bog simply leaned out of the way with a grin. 

* 

Outside in the rain Plum had pulled a hard plastic baton from her belt. She wasn’t smiling, she was pissed. “You’re done playing the sweet, in love little girl Francine. It's time to come home, back to the real world.” 

Marianne avoided several of Plum’s vicious whacks, but she was hurt, and slower than she should have been. “I am home, with him. Why can’t you just let me be happy?” Plum landed a hard slap with the plastic baton against Marianne’s upper arm, followed by another to her shoulder, then another that caught Marianne in the elbow. Marianne hissed and gasped in pain. 

“Fuck Plum! Why are you being so mean!” Marianne gasped. 

Plum grinned at her. “‘Cause you pissed me off Francine!” 

Marianne hissed. “Don’t call me that!” 

* 

Inside Mandy took a few more slashes at Bog, but he moved, dodged, and weaved with the flow around him and her clumsy slashes missed. She tried again, slashing wildly at him, but Bog weaved and dodged again, then spun around and rammed his elbow into her nose, breaking it with a crack and squishing sound. Mandy gasped in pain and stumbled backwards as blood flooded down over her lips. 

“You fuck!” she yelled. 

Bog grinned. He was actually enjoying himself! 

* 

Marianne and Plum were locked together. Plum had forced Marianne backwards, one hand held the baton to her throat, her other hand on the smaller woman’s shoulders. 

Marianne had a hold of Plum’s wrists as the two struggled for dominance. 

* 

Mandy was becoming angrier by the second as Bog continued to avoid her thrusts and stabs with ease. Bog winked at her when a particularly vicious jab sailed past his face. 

Mandy snarled. “What the actual fuck!” 

Bog shrugged. “Sorry, my girlfriend is a good teacher.” 

* 

Plum struggled with trying to choke Marianne out with the baton, but Marianne dropped a hand and took a swipe at Plum, forcing the older woman to take the hit to the face or let go. She let go, barely pulling her chin out of the way in time. 

The two exchanged a series of blows, Plum struck Marianne another time with the baton across her shoulder, but Marianne grabbed that wrist and brought her leg up for a snap kick that hit Plum in the chin. The sudden strike knocked Plum back; she tasted blood in her mouth and her hand opened against her will forcing her to drop the baton. 

* 

Mandy was becoming more and more agitated as she continued to miss Bog with her knife. Bog was getting tired of this--he wanted to go find Marianne. He decided it was time to end this, so he twisted his whole body around, brought his leg up and kicked the woman in the chest with enough force to knock her back into the stairs where only moments before she had been threatening him. 

* 

Marianne kicked the baton up with her foot and caught it while smiling at Plum the entire time. “Let’s see how you like it!” 

Marianne whacked Plum hard across the arm. Plum yelped backing away. 

* 

Inside, Mandy screeched at Bog, her rage taking over her common sense. “Why don’t you just die!!” 

Bog, who had backed up near the front door, reached over and grabbed a little, heavy statuary thing resting on a shelf by the door, (he didn’t recall what it was, he only saw something solid from the corner of his eye). Just as Mandy rushed him, Bog lashed out with the statuette and struck the woman across the face, knocking her to the floor. Mandy used the stairs to pull herself up as Bog came toward her. She rolled around pulling her gun, but Bog simply knocked it out of the way and hit the woman again across the face again. 

Bog snarled. “I like turtles and kittens too, prick!” 

And he hit her again until she stopped moving. He stumbled back, blood having splattered his face and dropped the statuette. Without looking back at Mandy he turned and hurried to the front door to find Marianne when Mandy's phone began to ring. Bog stopped mid-step and turned around. He frowned before he decided to walk over and took her phone from her pocket. 

He looked out it, hit the button, and held the phone to his ear. On the other end of the call, Von began yelling. 

“Mandy! Rachel is dead!” 

Bog frowned. “Well, I think I might have killed Mandy, not sure.” 

Von began to yell, but Bog tossed the phone down and headed back toward the front door. 

* 

Marianne grinned at Plum. 

Plum narrowed her eyes and rushed the younger woman, surprising Marianne as Plum’s shoulder hit her in the abdomen, picked her up off her feet and tossed her to the pavement. Marianne gasped as the air was knocked from her lungs. 

Plum walked over and kicked the smaller woman in the side. “You know Francine, it's not that I’m even all that angry at you. It’s that…” she kicked her again. “That I’m really, really disappointed.” 

Marianne gasped spitting blood onto the wet pavement that was swiftly washed away by the rain. Plum walked over and grabbed Marianne’s arm, twisting it behind her back. “Now, we are going to go to the desert, drug you up and reprogram your brain, get you back to as you should be.” 

Marianne gasped in pain. “There is nothing wrong with my brain!” 

Plum put one side of the handcuffs on Marianne’s wrist, but the younger woman moved swiftly, twisting herself up to her feet at the same time wrapping the other cuff around Plum’s wrist. Marianne grinned. “Tada!” 

Plum sighed like a long suffering parent. “Well, this is bad.” 

She took a swing at Marianne landing a punch to her face, splitting open a wound across Marianne’s cheek. Marianne countered with a kick to Plum’s chest and since they were handcuffed together Plum couldn’t go far. Marianne swung around, putting her back to Plum just as Plum tried once more to hit her. This time Marianne caught the other woman’s wrist as Marianne spun around. She yanked Plum’s arm over her shoulder and pulled down, dislocated Plum’s shoulder with the maneuver. Plum cried out as pain raced down her arm and across her torso. 

Marianne grinned as she spun back around to face her, Plum tried to kick her, but Marianne was quicker. She hit Plum in the throat, then in the back, followed by thrusting her knee up into Plum’s abdomen. 

Plum was struggling to get another strike in, to somehow turn this fight around, but Marianne was an expert in close combat and Plum was outclassed. Marianne jumped back just a little, slammed her foot down on top of Plum’s, turned herself around so they were side by side. She used her extended arm to hit across Plum’s chest and threw them both to the pavement. 

Plum hit hard, but Marianne was able to mostly control her fall, and avoid hitting her head. 

Plum gasped in pain then groaned. “You hit me in the breasts!” 

Marianne smiled. “Sorry, low blow I know.” 

They both laid back on their backs, still handcuffed together. 

* 

Bog had wandered out front, but didn’t see Marianne or anybody else. He walked around the corner of the house. There was a narrow “alley” between the house and the stone fence that surrounded the property. Bog moved through the alley and came around another corner hearing footsteps. 

“Marianne?” 

He came around the corner at the same time as Von came rushing around the corner at the other end, his weapon out. When he saw Bog, he snarled gesturing with the gun in Bog’s face. 

“Where’s Mandy?” 

Bog frowned. “Well, she left you for another guy.” 

Von looked confused then hissed. “Where is she?” 

Bog sighed. “Okay fine, I’m not sure, but I think I might have killed her. I hit her with a statue, but she wasn’t being very polite and she kept trying to kill me so...should I say you’re next or would that be too cliché?” 

Von snarled. “You’re lying!” 

He shot his gun as the words left his mouth, aiming right at Bog’s head. Bog moved out of the way, the bullet came close enough that the loud bang nearly burst his eardrum. Von looked at him in shock. 

“Shit!” Von hissed and started to shoot again, but Bog grabbed the gun from his hand, rolled it around and shot Von in the hand blowing off three of the man’s fingers. Von cried out and fell back against the fence holding his hand up in shock. 

Von screamed. “You fucking bastard!!” 

Bog, his hearing still off and ears ringing, yelled back. “Sorry--did that hurt?” 

Bog then without stopping to think it through shot Von two more times. The man sank to the ground still staring at the tall, thin man in shock. 

Bog sighed with disappointment as he stared down at Von. “I did tell you didn’t I? That this was going to happen. No one ever listens.” 

Bog tossed the gun down and headed out of the small alley. 

* 

Plum groaned. “This isn’t how this was supposed to go.” 

Marianne shrugged. “Yeah, I didn’t think this was how my day was going to go.” 

Plum pulled her pistol, but Marianne just as swiftly disarmed her and took the gun for herself but Plum pulled another. 

Marianne sighed. “This is stupid.” 

Plum narrowed her eyes at Marianne. “Yeah, it is stupid. You really think you can just leave this life and settle down with tall, dark and handsome? Have a couple of kids? You’ll never been normal Francine, you’ll never be happy. People like us, we don’t get happy.” 

Marianne stared at her for a long time before she shot the handcuffs and stood up. Plum watched her for a moment, her gun still pointed at her. “Where do you think you’re going? You can’t leave. Weren’t you listening to me?” 

Marianne sighed, her back turned to Plum. “Who wants to be normal anyway? I want something else. I want him.” 

Plum began to say something when Brutus seemed to come out of nowhere, the rain having shielded the sound of his approach and slammed the butt of his rifle into Plum’s head, knocking her unconscious. 

Marianne turned in surprise at the sound to see Brutus. “Oh, hey Brutus!” She waved. 

Brutus smiled. “You okay?” 

She nodded with a smile. “I am now. Wow, you know there is a bounty on her, like I think last time I checked it was five million. Might be more now.” 

Brutus’s eyebrows shot up. “You serious?” 

Marianne nodded. “Yep.” 

Brutus grinned. “I’m gonna be rich.” 

Marianne laughed. “Hey, you got any green ones left?” 

Brutus pulled out the bag that had contained the gummi bears and threw it at her. “Saved them for you.” 

Marianne caught the bag out of the air, opening it up. “Aw Brutus! That is so sweet! Thank you.” 

Brutus smiled. “Thanks girlie, you go find your boy.” 

That was the moment that doors to the house opened and Bog walked out. “Hey, there you are!” 

Marianne squealed and threw herself at Bog who only had a moment to realize she was going to slam into him. He opened his arms and caught her as she wrapped her arms and legs around him. “BOG!” 

He laughed kissing her. Marianne growled happily kissing him back. She pulled back and rubbed her nose against his then gasped. “Bog! Your pupils are super dilated. Did you get shot in the face?” 

He grinned at her with a nod. “Yeah, I did.” 

Marianne narrowed her eyes. “Who did it? I’m gonna kill them.” 

Bog adjusted his grip on her, putting his hands under her rear to hold her as she tightened her thighs around him just a little. “Oh, I did already?” 

“You did?” Marianne gasped. 

Bog nodded. “Yep I did.” 

She giggled and kissed him again, a deep kiss that made Bog dizzy. “That’s fantastic!” She gasped. “You got all the bad guys!” 

Bog laughed. “Yeah I did.” 

Marianne rubbed her nose against him. “Mm...we should probably go to the hospital.” 

“Yeah, we probably should,” Bog said kissing her lips with little butterfly kisses. 

Marianne giggled then turned to Brutus who was watching them with a smile. “Hey Brutus, you think you could give us a ride?” 

* 

Two months later in Vietnam. 

Bog chuckled throwing the sheet over his shoulders as he pounced on Marianne who lay naked on the bed. She squealed reaching for him. 

The window to their room was wide open and looked down on a restaurant and cafe near the main market area. There were crowds of people down there busy about their day this early in the morning, the sun shining bright and beautiful in the clear blue sky. Bog gathered her up in his arms and kissed her rolling so she was on top of him. 

Marianne giggled and brushed his hair back from his face. 

“So, where do you want to go? Thailand or Indonesia?” she asked while gently kissing his face. 

“Mm...I hate making decisions like that.” Bog laughed softly. 

“Well how about we just get on a plane and see where it goes? Just pick one at random and wherever it goes, we go.” Marianne said softly as her kisses moved slowly down his throat to his chest. Bog sighed with a happy smile and closed his eyes. “Mm...you are making it hard to think.” 

Marianne giggled working her way longer. She reached over and grabbed the sheet throwing it over the top of them both. 

* 

Outside, hidden on the roof of the adjacent building, a man with a sniper rifle was watching them through the scope. He spoke into his head set. “I have them both in sight…” 

* 

Down below at the cafe, Brutus, dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt, leaned back in his seat and sipped his Ca phe trung with a smile. He glanced up at the building where the sniper was, then back to where he knew his friends were currently messing around. He shook his head and sipped his drink. 

* 

The sniper saw Marianne stand up, the sheet falling away. He was momentarily distracted by the lovely naked woman as she walked across the room. She picked something up at the dresser and laid the sheet out on the bed. She then bent over and was doing something. 

“What is she doing?” he muttered into his headset watching her intently. 

He heard his contact on the other end. “What’s going on?” 

“I don’t know...wait…” 

Marianne held up the sheet in front of the window, now with lipstick with which she had written. “Where’s the boyfriend?” 

The sniper hissed. “Fuck!” 

He adjusted his scope around trying to see into the room, but the boyfriend was gone. That was when he heard a click behind him. He turned to see Bog standing there in jeans and a t-shirt with a big smile and a gun pointed at him. 

“Whatcha looking at?” he asked then fired his weapon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where the movie Mr. Right ended but from here I will be writing my own story about these two :)


End file.
